Rebirth of a Wizard
by Kyria of Delphi
Summary: Snape did not die that night. He made his escape and evolved.
1. Renaissance

A/N The world and the characters you recognise belong to JKR; I am merely extrapolating. AU to the max. Beta'd by the fab Feral Pirate. Review please 

Awareness of pain and weakness; sounds of footsteps and faint soft light, voices close by, loud and arguing; sensations of something not quite right, that he was suspended in time somehow... he could almost see them through the mist. Six people arguing about him. Voices he knew voices from his past. He could not move although he desperately wanted to talk to them.

"He has failed, again! He never could get anything right. He was and will always be a traitor, he only merits destruction. I vote death." Sirius Black. 

"NO! He has been true to everything required of him. I trusted him with my life and my death. He never failed me. He always kept his head under pressure, which is more than I can say for you, Sirius! He has earned peace and he must be there to mentor Harry. I vote life." Albus Dumbledore.

"He left Harry to face Riddle by himself. He was evil from the beginning, I agree with Sirius. Death." James Potter.

"He helped the Order until the end; he never betrayed any of us, he was a hero. Could any of us have suffered the things he did without betraying the Order? Could any of us have endured the punishments Riddle doled out? I know he did things even the Aurors feared to do. He had every opportunity to harm all of us but he didn't. He sent us to the Ministry to help Harry. I vote life." Nymphadora Tonks.

"Could you, Sirius or you, James, have done what he did? Given your entire existence to bringing down Riddle? Could you have followed Albus' orders without fail? Put others' wishes before your own? He did, for the last eighteen years he had resisted only one task. It nearly unhinged him to have to kill Albus. But he did it because he had TAKEN AN OATH to obey without question. Could either of you havedone that? He did what he did for my sake. He does not belong here. I vote life." Lily Evans Potter. He could feel her kneel by his side. Felt her touch his hand. Felt Nymphadora Tonks kneel beside him also. He felt his heart begin to beat very softly.

"He proved a better friend to me than anyone had in years. He made the Wolfsbane potion for me while I was at Hogwarts and ever since. Even after he fled with Draco, he sent owls with the potions. I trusted him as Albus did. I also vote life." Remus Lupin knelt next to Nymphadora and put a hand on Severus's shoulder. Severus felt a flicker of breath return to his lungs.

"He deserves the future, we are of the past. He deserves what he missed because of his dedication to duty, happiness, love, peace, recognition, friendship, a family of his own, and our thanks for being strong enough to stay the course and for his steadfastness of purpose. We were brought here to argue his fate, and vote whether he merits redemption. Four votes for redemption and two for death. He will be sent back." Again Lily Evans Potter and Nymphadora Tonks. He felt a slight warming and could almost move again.

He sensed a door shutting and the voices were moving away now. But they came again to his ears with one last message. "Blessed be, Severus, blessed be. You will not return here for many years. The future awaits you. Live well." 

He could feel the pain of his wounds sharply now. He still could just barely move, but suddenly Harry was there. Severus had to concentrate to give him the memories which would give him the last piece of the puzzle. 

"Take them." He forced his voice to obey him, as he grabbed the boy's robes.

Once the memories had been collected, he forced himself to speak again. "Look at me!" Then he passed out again, falling back as if truly dead. 

The quiet was overwhelming. The boy had gone with the flask of memories. The girl's hand had touched his face before she left and she had whispered, "Blessed be, Professor. Blessed be."

At least someone had cared enough to give him a benediction. He opened his eyes at that thought, he wasn't dead yet. He must move and get to the castle to assist the boy if needed. Then he would be free at long last, or dead, either way lay peace.

He had lost a lot of blood, but not as much as he had feared. The packets of potionblood he had hidden under the collar of his robes had sufficiently fooled them all, and the antidote for the snake's venom he had created, he'd drunk a vial before coming to the Shack with Lucius Malfoy. He had added two drops of Phoenix tears to the potion to keep any wounds he received small.

" I knew that and the Felix Felicis potion would save me, but I need to move now." On that thought he sat up and sealed the wound in his throat.

He struggled to his feet before performing a disillusionment charm on himself, and carefully made his way to the Headmaster's office. Harry was lying on the floor after seeing the memories. The boy looked stunned, but Snape saw realization hit and saw him accept what he had seen. Saw Harry blink and then set his mind to doing this last task that was to be required of him.

Snape waited until the boy left and then reached into the desk for a restorative elixir and the large vial of blood replenishing potion. He collapsed into the chair and waited an hour or two until he felt better. He gathered the items he was going to take with him into a bag, potions, clothes, Muggle money… his journal.

Then suddenly he heard the voice of the Dark Lord, announcing that Harry Potter was dead.

"I do not think so, you stupid, arrogant fool." He thought.

Disillusioning the bag and carrying it with him he made his way to the parapet overlooking the front of the school. 

"Ah yes. Act III, Scene I. At last! "He said to himself.

As he looked down at the scene several things happened. The Giants raced around a corner, hundreds of witches and wizards came rushing into the grounds led by Slughorn and Charlie Weasley, the Centaurs galloped out of the forest sending showers of arrows at the Death Eaters. And the body of Harry Potter twitched twice and disappeared. Snape had his wand out at the ready in case he had to intervene.

"Good boy, Harry. Oh good job, Longbottom. Take the snake's head clean off with one stroke. Bravo!"

The scene turned to chaos as the fight moved into the castle. Snape hurried down a back stair to stand in a corner of the Great Hall as the fight moved into the room. He watched as Minerva McGonagall, Horace Slughorn and Kingsley Shacklebolt battled Riddle. He saw Bellatrix Lestrange battling the three young graces, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood.

Molly Weasley dashed into the fray, throwing off her cloak as she ran. She darted in front of the girls and took on Bellatrix single-handedly. Bellatrix screamed at Molly and Molly screamed back. Bellatrix laughed and as she hesitated Molly's curse caught her off guard. Bellatrix died with a very surprised look on her face.

Snape commented, "Good riddance, hag. You deserved that."

Riddle screamed in rage and turned his curses on Molly. But a shield charm erupted out of thin air.

Snape knew it was Harry. Snape commented to himself that Act III Scene II had arrived and he had an orchestra seat. The boy threw off his cloak and began to battle Riddle. The Dark Lord tried taunting Harry to no avail. Harry replied calmly and with great patience explained what was what to the Dark soon-to-be-dead Lord. They traded comments for a while then Snape heard his own name on Harry's lips. Severus Snape heard wonder and reverence in Harry's words.

Harry vindicated Snape and tried to show Riddle the error of his ways. As Snape watched, the curse and the spell collided in mid air. He saw the Elder Wand fly up and be caught by the hand of the boy he had guarded for so many years. Saw Riddle fall dead at last.

"Splendid job, Harry, you have done it. Blessed be!"

As the rest of the people in the Hall mobbed their young saviour, Snape made his way out of the back corner of the room. He walked to the body of Riddle and spat directly in the face of his erstwhile Master. Then he walked out of the school where he had taught for so long. He didn't think anyone would miss him.

He was wrong.

Within hours it was reported that his body had disappeared. The next day Kingsley Shacklebolt announced in the Daily Prophet that Severus Snape had been awarded the Order of Merlin First Class with the Avalon Cluster posthumously for bravery over and above. Within three days he had become a legend. The Daily Prophet began a series on Severus Snape and offered rewards for any information on the missing wizard. Harry, Ron and Hermione agonised over his disappearance. Harry hoped they would find him alive. Ron just wanted to know how someone had taken the body and Hermione cried for the lonely, misunderstood man Snape had been. 

He had gone back to Spinner's End to set enchantments on the house and pick up anything else he might need. He had a plan, at least the idea of a plan. He would see what harm had been done to the Muggle world and try to set what he could right again. And he would learn about the world of Muggles. It was going to have to be his world now. The wizarding world thought him dead and he wanted to keep it that way.

Then he walked out of the only world he had ever known. 

He made his way by walking and hitching rides. He headed south to Oxford where he happened on a fair. He performed a few spells such as a child could do and produced coins from small children's ears and had a wonderful time, occasionally he would sell potions at fairs or work in a garden. He decided that most Muggles would leave him alone if he left them alone and he learned that Muggle children were very inquisitive.

He sometimes worked at odd jobs and he occasionally used his magic to put right some things the Death Eaters had destroyed, but mostly he watched people, Muggle families, mainly. He built a reputation as a travelling folk healer and when too many people knew of him, he moved on. For over half a year he wandered, finding his place in this new world and learning the Muggle ways he had shunned. He found emptiness in his soul that urged him to keep moving and he found out things about himself that he never knew. 

He saw different kinds of people living and working together and not looking down on each other. He learned compassion and empathy. He knew he had to keep looking for the place he would belong, for the future he had been promised.

He sometimes encountered families whose children had been terrified by the violence. He used his skill at Legilimency to lead those children out of the horrors their minds could not deal with. He was always gentle with the children, calming their fears and obliviating the worst of the memories. He had honed his skill at nonverbal spells to a fine degree and found he enjoyed helping those children. He learned to endure and then even enjoy the effusive emotional thanks of the parents and he learned to smile at people.

He was nearly unrecognizable now. He'd cut his hair, grown a very Sir Walter Raleigh type beard and was wearing Muggle clothes. His hair had gone grey at the temples. He was walking through England, trying to figure out what to do with his life now that the war was over and he had survived.


	2. Reawakening

A/N The world and the characters you recognise belong to JKR; I am merely extrapolating. AU to the max. Beta'd by the fab Feral Pirate. Review please 

Then in early December he found himself in the city of Glastonbury. The people were friendly. The scenery was nice and the pull of the ancient magic had drawn him here. For what purpose he did not, as yet, know, but he would soon find out.

He found the city was full of Muggles who wanted to be witches and wizards. The shops were full of Muggle potions and crystals and magic wands that would never produce a spell. He saw a sign in the window of a souvenir shop that proclaimed a job opening for a shop assistant.

He went inside to inquire, and came almost face to face with a former student. He had taught her several years ago. In fact, she had been a fourth year student when he came to Hogwarts as a teacher. Nimuë something, she was a good student, very good at potion, a Gryffindor unfortunately, but still good at her classes, and not a troublemaker. She hadn't noticed him yet, she was speaking to an older woman.

"Yes, Mrs. Granger, I will send her the ingredients, come back again. Tell her to call me."

She looked up at the scruffy man in the shop and did a double take. Then she gasped. "Blessed be. Blessed be. Hello, Professor."

"I do not want to obliviate your memory, young woman. I must ask you not to tell anyone you have seen me."

"Professor, you have been gone half a year. Come in, come in, back here I was just about to close for lunch. Would you like tea? You've forgotten my name, haven't you? It is Nimuë Hawke. I promise not to turn you in. I'll make an Oath if you wish it." She hurried to put the closed sign on the door.

Snape looked at his former student and thought he saw tears in her eyes. He looked around her office before setting his bag down. He saw the door they had come through and two more doors. One was open and led into a kitchen. The other was closed. He assumed it led to a storeroom. He replied to her query about tea. "Yes, Miss Hawke, tea would be most welcome. Are you part of this nonsense that seems to be flourishing in Glastonbury?" He sat down at the small table in the office.

"It isn't nonsense, Professor. It is an effort on the part of some to return a sense of well being back to the Muggle world. Most of the items for sale in town have cheering charms on them. The potions are harmless but the containers have been charmed. This is the way the new Ministry has been trying to set things back on an even keel. Kingsley Shacklebolt is now the Minister. Were you aware of that?"

"But out in the open? Shacklebolt is the best person for the job; he actually has no political aspirations. What has happened to the wizarding community? When I left there was much to do. I could not stay. I was free from the shadow existence I had lived for so long. I had to go away."

"Everyone searched for you for months. As one of those who had arrived for the final battle, I tried to make myself useful as best I could. Professor McGonagall asked me to go with Potter, Granger, and Weasley to retrieve your body. But there was no body to be found. There was a lot of blood but after many hours most of that 'blood' had not congealed. I had a hunch that you had created a blood-like potion to fool everyone. You left an empty vial of restorative in your haste to be gone. And I found empty vials of antivenin, Felix Felicis and blood replenishing potion together in a side corridor. I felt sure you were alive. Kingsley Shacklebolt suspects it; the Potter boy hopes you are. Hermione Granger still cries for you and the Weasleys would love to hear from you."

"You aren't going to turn me in for some reward, are you? That is why you offered me tea. Or are you simply deranged?" He raised an eyebrow as he asked.

"No. I would never do that." She took a steadying breath and continued," I plan on offering you the position in the shop, the tea I promised you and a nice long chat. Feed you dinner. And give you a place to bathe and sleep, if you want it. "

"Going to sell the story to the Prophet? Or that rag The Quibbler? Send an owl to the Ministry? Dine out on the tale with your friends after I leave?" He was teasing her.

"No. I simply want to offer another magical soul the comfort of my home and a nice warm dinner. And find out what you have been doing. I admit to being horribly curious. On my honour as a Gryffindor, I swear I will not betray your secrets. Besides, it is almost Christmas."

"Very well, since you have allayed most of my trepidations, yes, Miss Hawke, I will be happy to have tea with you."

She went through the door to the kitchen beyond and put the tea things on a tray which she brought back into the office. She had added scones and jam as well as small sandwiches. She poured him a cup and he found it was his favourite blend. The scones were blackcurrant, also a favourite of his. 

He set the cup down and asked. "Are you trying to keep me here for a reason?" This time he wasn't teasing.

"No, Professor. I just wanted to tell you why some of us have taken on this project. Poppy Pomfrey made suggestions to the Ministry in conjunction with the Healers at St. Mungo's. The Muggle world had suffered as badly as ours but they didn't know why, and would continue to suffer if something wasn't done. The Ministry put together a committee of Professors Flitwick and McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey and Hermione Granger to see what would be the most effective way to correct the problem. Hermione and Poppy came up with the idea of the cheering charms and it has been working for a few months now. I do want to offer you the position in the shop so you can see for yourself what this 'nonsense' really is."

"You are serious, Miss Hawke, about the place to sleep and bathe? It isn't a joke?"

"No, Professor. I am serious. My house has a very small flat at the other end of the garden. It is yours if you want it, even if you do not take the position. I have missed conversing with my own kind." She put the tea things back on the tray and carried it into the kitchen. She beckoned him into the room. She gestured to a door into the garden. "Go down to the end of the garden. The flat is open now, there's a bedroom with a bathroom and a fireplace but you will have to take your meals with me though."

Severus picked up his backpack and walked down to the flat. He walked in and looked around. It was tiny but scrupulously clean and comfortable. He put the backpack down in the bedroom and took out his shaving gear. He took a shower and washed his hair before shaving and changing into clean clothes. He found his way out of the garden and continued to look around the town. He felt power here. He visited the sites touted by the brochures, Chalice Well and the Tor. Atop the Tor he looked down and saw the labyrinthine path that so many believers had trodden over the years. He saw where the path had been altered at some point; the magic was still strong in this place. He arrived back at the house just after Nimuë had closed the shop.

When he walked back to the house she handed him a glass of elf-made wine, his favourite. He noticed the salad she had set on the table was also his favourite. She had created salmon with a lemony butter sauce and mixed veg. They talked for awhile.

"I made careful study of your habits, likes and dislikes, as a fifth year on a dare. You were fascinating to me but I had to get on with other things, such as my classes. Why did you disappear?"

"Because my job was done, I had watched over the Potter boy until he had accomplished his destiny. I had no family, no one to care if I lived or died. I wanted to find a life of my own. To start again, Nimuë"

"But that isn't true, Severus. Those kids did care, DO care. I had a hard time with Hermione. She felt guilty that she hadn't brought your body back to the school. 'I said a prayer over him. I did.' She told me as she cried and she still cries. Harry Potter has agonised over your disappearance for all this time, even the Weasley boy said he had forgotten you also and felt guilty."

"Why are you telling me this? Is it a sales pitch for me to go back to being the nothing I was before? Why should I care if those three or the whole school mourns me?" He was getting exasperated.

"No, I seriously want you to help me with this endeavour. Call it fate or what you will but you were brought here for a reason; brought to me for a reason. The truth please, Severus."

He looked at her with a wry expression and then he shrugged and grinned at her.

"I just took a sabbatical, an extended sabbatical. I had never before had a life of my own. I wanted to find out who I was now that I was no longer Riddle's henchman, Dumbledore's spy, or guardian and/or terror of Harry Potter. I wanted to learn to be me. I wanted to find out where I belong."

"That is your third glass of wine, Severus. Sit down and eat your salad. I'll have dinner out momentarily."

"Why are you taking me in like this? Do you always pick up strange men? Is it some bizarre fetish or plot to seduce unwary male travellers?" He was back to teasing her.

"No, sorry, I have been keeping watch for you. A travelling healer who makes potions for a living isn't too hard to track around Southern England. I think you were doing exactly what we are doing here in Glastonbury, helping to heal the Muggle world. Have you figured out who you are yet? What you want to do?"

"I want the things I should have wanted twenty years ago, happiness, and a productive life, maybe even someone who cares for me. Peace, mostly, and refuge from eccentric females, possibly." He laughed as she shot him a look.

"Severus, it's hard to find everything together. You may have to settle for just part of it..."

She brought out the salmon and all conversation ceased while they ate. He complimented her cooking and ate everything on his plate.

After they had finished dinner she turned music on. She had all her favourite songs recorded on her laptop, mostly Muggle songs.

She turned the volume very low and invited him to sit in the living room.

She handed him a glass of mead and took one herself.

"Now it is your turn to ask me anything. I know you are suspicious."

"Who dared you to catalogue my likes and dislike all those years ago? And why ever did you do it?"He laughed as he asked.

"Bill and Charlie Weasley were convinced I had a crush on you. They tormented me day and night."

"Very interesting, it would be the Weasleys. There are always Weasleys making life difficult." He paused to take a sip of mead before continuing. "Why have you landed in the New Age mystic centre? You obviously know Miss Granger, Poppy Pomfrey, Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick very well, have they planted you here to capture me?" He teased.

"No. I volunteered for this post. I thought it would make me feel less guilty for not arriving in time to save my cousin and it gave me a chance to study the Muggle world close up and personal."

"Why was I so fascinating to you? Couldn't you find a more palatable specimen? Or do you envision yourself seducing your old Potions teacher? "

She had told him to ask whatever he wanted but now she was uneasy. He had hit on the one thing she didn't want to tell him.

"Because I liked puzzles… because you were in so much pain… because mysteries intrigue me." She hoped she wasn't blushing.

"Not nearly good enough, but I will let that go. What do you want from me?"

"Friendship, companionship, exchange of ideas, contact with another person who moves between Muggledom and our world, a helping hand in the shop." Her words said. 

"Fair enough. I'll stay and make my own evaluation of what you are doing. I need to rest somewhere. I have been trying to set things right in my travels. I am not sure how much good I did but at least I tried."

"Yes, Severus, I would like your company. You have no idea how you have helped. You are becoming a legend in the Muggle world like you have become in our world. The reports of the mystery healer had the wizarding world searching everywhere."

"Nimuë, I would like to stay for a few days." He thought for a moment and then asked, "Why ever did your parents name you Nimuë?"

"My Mother had a thing about the Merlin stories. She always told me that I'd be some wizard's downfall too, someday. Make yourself at home. I keep strange hours sometimes. Oh, and I sing, rather a lot sometimes, my spells and Muggle songs too. The small garden outside I tried to make into a traditional herb garden but herbology wasn't my best subject. If you stay long enough for winter to be over and you can get it growing I would appreciate it. Go on to bed. I will clean up in here. I am glad you are here." 

She finished with the dishes and brought her laptop and another glass of mead up to her bedroom. She bathed and put on her nightgown and the matching robe. She worked on the laptop for a while. She left music playing on the laptop, her favourites from the English ballads.

Nimuë was too excited to sleep so she went out to the garden. She bent to pick rosemary because the smell calmed her. She walked around in the garden and danced in the moonlight. The night wasn't cold.

A sardonic voice said quietly, "You shouldn't be out walking in your nightgown. _Someone_ might get ideas."

She looked around to see that Severus was leaning against the wall of the flat. He stared hard at her barely concealed body in the silk gown.

"Go to bed Nimuë, I am still a man, not a corpse. Better yet, _I'll___go to bed." He disappeared into the flat.

She smiled at his retreating form. Rubbing the rosemary between her fingers, she sat on the bench in the middle of the garden. She began to sing softly. The old Welsh tune. "All through the night" but the words were not the traditional lullaby. Only she knew that she sang the words from her heart.

"_Sleep my love and peace attend thee_

_All through the night._

_From all pain I will defend thee,_

_All through the night._

_Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,_

_All our world in slumber sleeping_

_I my loving vigil keeping_

_All through the night."_


	3. Reconnecting

A/N The world and the characters you recognise belong to JKR; I am merely extrapolating. AU to the max. Beta'd by the fab Feral Pirate. Review please 

As Snape drifted off to sleep he dimly remembered hearing the song years before. He was back at Hogwarts, his second year as a Teacher. The teachers' meeting room was abuzz with controversy and gossip. Flitwick was commenting to Dumbledore that a student was singing her incantations. And that they seemed to work very well for her. 

"Nimuë Hawke is an unusual young witch. She is excellent at Transfiguration Minerva tells me, and her work in Charms is beyond her grade level. But she sings her spells and charms. Have you ever heard of the like? Severus, how is she at Potions?"

Dumbledore replied as he glanced across the room at Severus, who had nodded in answer to Flitwick's question. "Yes, singing the spells and charms used to be very common but not since the Wizard world separated from the Muggle world. Is her voice pleasant, Filius?"

Flitwick replied in the affirmative and Dumbledore replied. "Possibly we should all listen to this young woman. Do you think she would perform with the choir at Christmas?"

Suddenly the Christmas feast was upon the tables in the Great Hall. The choir had finished their songs but Nimuë Hawke stood alone on the dais. She began the song with a strange vacant look in her eyes. Almost the same look that Sybil Trelawney had worn the night she had uttered the prophecy that had changed everyone's lives. She was singing a cappella.

The tune was the same Welsh lullaby but the words were eerily different.

"Deep the silence 'round us spreading

All through the night

Dark the path that thee are treading

All through the night

Evil forces begin their churning

The feared one will be returning

To the child our thoughts are turning

All through the night

Angels watching ever round thee

All through the night

In thy danger hopes surround thee

All through the night

I would of all fears disarm thee

No forebodings should alarm thee

I will let no evil harm thee

All through the night"

She had collapsed at the end of the song.

Dumbledore and McGonagall rushed to her side. Dumbledore had called out.

"Severus, pick her up and take her to Poppy. "

He had obeyed Dumbledore's request, although carrying the girl had awakened forgotten feelings… feelings and urges alien to the man he was then, forbidden urges like love, security, and desire.

But her song had seemed to be somehow directed at him.

"Dark the path that thee are treading." She had sung. If that hadn't described his life nothing did. 

The dream lingered even after he awoke the next morning.

"Intriguing, I wonder if she was singing protective spells."

When he walked into the kitchen she handed him a cup of tea exactly the way he liked it.

"You make me feel like I was the subject of considerable research. Didn't you at one time sing with the Christmas Choir at school?"

She started and flashed him a look of pure terror and answered, "Yes, I did and fainted. I believe it was you who took me to Madam Pomfrey."

"You were singing that song last night but a different version of it. "

"I don't remember the words I sang that Christmas, Severus. It was a long time ago. My Welsh grandmother sang the lullaby to me at night. That's why I sing it now. You probably know I usually sing my spells and charms. Professor Flitwick was always amused by that."

"Have you tried singing for the Muggles yet, Nimuë? If you can sing the cheering charm……?

"No, Severus, I haven't yet. But the young man in the recording studio down the street is trying to get all the shop owners to do a recording at Midsummer Eve at Stonehenge. He has a sound crew all lined up, it is due to be broadcast all over England. Maybe I will try it, if you would lend that silky voice as an accompaniment?"

"Don't be daft, lass. I usually croak like a frog. But we could research a song that would send the proper relieving spell. This would be a Muggle wireless broadcast. So Muggle songs would be the best way, don't you think?"

"I have an extensive collection of Muggle music, thanks to Hermione. She thought older rock and roll and folk songs would give the shop a little character. We can go through them in the next few days. I'll tell Rhys that he has two more voices for his choir. It isn't like the Festival is next week. We have months yet. Have some breakfast, there is more tea."

She handed him a plate filled with eggs, grilled tomatoes, bacon and toast. They discussed the preparations for Christmas as well as the things she wanted him to do in the shop.

"Thank you. I am going to work on the herb garden. The roses though seem to be doing quite well. I'll see to the wreaths this afternoon. I'll make a list of plants we need to purchase to make the garden completely accurate."

"The Muggles who sold me the house are responsible for planting the rose garden. I try to stay out of it if possible. Any plants you think I need I'll get when the weather turns warmer."

"So noted. I will endeavour to provide you with the requisite witch's herb garden and do any other odd jobs around here that require immediate attention. Sit down, Nimuë. I won't bite I have always been curious about your name. We wizards use Merlin's name as an epithet but seldom is Nimuë's name taken in vain. I wonder why?"

"I think most wizards are afraid that they might meet their own fate at the hands of another Nimuë."

"Like the one I am sitting across from, hmmm, perhaps?" He winked at her with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

He worked in the garden most of the day. Rearranging the plants was going to help a bit. He moved the shelves in the shop after lunch. He fixed the gate to the back yard and put a lock on the door of the flat.

He heard her singing off and on all day, different songs. Several of them he liked and would ask her to sing for him again later. He was relaxed, happy. He didn't wonder at it he just accepted it and it felt as though he had come home. In late afternoon he cut back some of the rosemary stalks He brought them inside and found a vase for them. The weather was turning colder finally. He brought in logs from the yard for the main house and the flat. Then he went off to shower. 

He found her much more at ease with him that evening. They talked and laughed and discussed the garden. She told him of her changes to the preparations for Christmas and asked his help with some of the things she wanted to do.

The routine of breakfast, lunch and dinner together, with her working in the shop and him working in the garden or around the house became standard after a few days. He had decided to stay longer than he had planned. He always brought the rosemary in for her in the evening. She had offered him the use of the third bedroom as a laboratory for potions. They had discussed the possibility of creating potions for St. Mungo's to use for their most difficult patients. Severus particularly wanted to see if there was any way to cure the two longest residents of St. Mungo's, the Longbottoms. He felt that potions were not going to be the answer though. The way into their minds might have to be through a master Legilimens, and the only one left alive was him.

Nimuë had closed the shop at five and gone in to her office to read the post. Hermione had written and enclosed a letter from Poppy Pomfrey. Poppy was encouraged that Minister Shacklebolt had reported the "Other Minister" had said that the Muggle world seemed to be slowly pulling out of its fear and depression for some reason. And Hermione reminded her that she was coming for a visit for Lammas.

"Not good. I'll have to tell him. "She muttered to herself as she walked into the kitchen to start dinner. She had Scottish lamb that she was going to fix with potato pancakes and a Greek salad.

She found the vase with the rosemary when she got to the kitchen. When dinner was ready she called to the end of the garden.

"Severus, thank you for the flowers. Dinner is ready. Can you pour the wine?"

"Yes Nimuë. Be there shortly."

He was more talkative that evening, discussing the ingredients he would need for the new potions. He questioned Nimuë as to how much wand-less magic she knew. He told her they would start working on the curse-reversal spells after Christmas.

He took her outside to find out where she wanted certain things. They sat on the garden bench and talked about his former students. He had his own ideas about the Christmas things. They drank their mead back inside in front of her fireplace.

"I have hazy memory of what kind of a potions student you were Nimuë, probably better than average. I tend to classify only the wretched ones or the brilliant ones."

"I got Exceeds Expectations on my OWLs and my NEWTs. You taught me a lot. I did much better than Charlie Weasley."

"Ah, yes, the second Mr. Weasley. He did much better in Care of Magical Creatures than he ever did in Potions. You never told me who your cousin was, the one you got to Hogwarts too late to save. A student?"

"No, Severus, my cousin and his wife both died there, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks Lupin. "

"Ah, yes. Remus was a good man. I suppose Nymphadora's mother is raising their son? I wish I had been there, at that spot in the grounds, I might have saved them both. He and I made peace in these last few years. I had made the Wolfsbane Potion for him while he taught at Hogwarts. I was going to try to create a potion to nullify his transforming at all."

"He considered you his friend, Severus. He was very upset and confused when you killed Dumbledore"

"I had no choice, Nimuë. Albus was already dying before the school year started. I had 'stoppered death' for him but could not entirely heal him, the curse was going to kill him within weeks anyway. The potion he drank that night had undone all my careful slowing of the curse. Albus was in agony and I could not let him suffer or be taken by the Death Eaters, They would have used the Cruciatus Curse on him. I had promised to send him easily and I did. I hated doing it, but it was certainly more merciful than what he was facing. I still feel the guilt of it. It is another reason I left."

"His portrait made that abundantly clear when Minister Shacklebolt visited. Dumbledore and Harry both told everyone that Dumbledore's death had been set up between the two of you months before, and that you were totally innocent of any wrongdoing at all. What you have been doing since then is your way of dealing with the feelings of guilt isn't it?"

"Yes, I felt that I had to do something. The Death Eaters had created so much chaos in the Muggle world that I tried to repair what little I could. Helping the children seemed to be what Albus would have wanted me to do. I heard Harry telling Riddle what I had done and why. I watched the whole last part of the battle. I saw Molly Weasley beat Bellatrix, which was impressive. I saw Longbottom finally live up to his potential, saw Harry triumph over that arrogant ass that called himself the Dark Lord. After Riddle was dead and the crowd was all over Harry, I walked over and spat in Riddle's face. It felt right. Then I left."

"I am glad you survived. I had sung protective spells for you since you left school after your seventh year. Yes, Severus, I can do protection spells with the songs. I can heal with songs, too. I never considered it unusual until Professor Flitwick started asking about it."

"Do you really not remember the words you sang at Christmas that year? I felt they were aimed at me. One of the lines stayed with me. Something about Dark the path that thee are treading."

"All through the night. I don't remember singing at all, but Professor Dumbledore told me later that I had sung a protective spell, and that I had best not mention it to anyone. He said that the person who needed the spell would not welcome it."

"Then he probably knew the spell was to protect me, I thank you. I needed protective spells back then. I truly walked a Dark path and walked it for many more years. But these past seven months have been a revelation. Since I was twenty I lived a double life, Dumbledore's spy at the side of the Dark Lord. I loathed it. I loathed myself. I became bitter, hard, cold, and cruel. I, too, became an arrogant ass; proud of my abilities and looking down on those who were not my equals. I was very humbled when Harry tried to clear my name. He is the most powerful young wizard I know of today. He really is not like his father. James would never have been able to do what Harry did. Harry's heart is his Mother's. The daring may be due to James but the love the boy has shown for his friends and his classmates and his teachers is from his Mother, Lily. She was my friend many years ago. I loved her when we were in school, until I got caught up in the Death Eater mania. She gave me an ultimatum. I could stay with the Death Eaters and lose her or remain her friend. I made the wrong choice and it was my fault she died. I was the one who took the prophecy to Riddle. I begged him for her life. It didn't make any difference. The night she died I went to Dumbledore and took an oath to protect Harry and work to bring down the remaining Death Eaters and Riddle whenever he came back. The oath was ended when Harry forced the Elder Wand to make its choice. From that moment I was free for the first time in eighteen years."

"And now? Have you forgiven yourself for the things you did unintentionally or on Dumbledore's orders? You seem as if you are on the verge of a decision. Are you going to start working on potions for St. Mungo's?"

"I may never truly forgive myself, Nimuë. There is still too much darkness in my soul. The potions for St. Mungo's are a possibility. There are a number of curse-reversal spells and potions. If I work on the potions and teach you the spells you could take credit for the work. This morning you were singing some songs that are probably Mugglesongs but I liked a couple of them very much. Would you sing them again? 'Try and catch the wind'and the one that starts'Black is the colour of my true love's hair.' "

"Yes, they are Muggle folk songs. A young man named Donovan wrote them when you were a child. Donovan's words actually start 'Yellow is the colour…' but I changed them for my own use."

She began to sing and Severus felt very peaceful. He liked being here. He was amazed he had told her so much, but then she was the first witch or wizard he had had contact with since that final battle. Maybe he would go back. He watched her as she sang. He saw a slender woman with gray eyes and hair the red gold colour of flames. He saw a grace in her movements and heard the magic in her voice. 

Her voice flowed into his mind and soothed him. The words of the last song she started startled him, a lovesong. She had sung several songs, ending with Ewan MacColl's haunting'First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". She sang as if she was singing to the love of her life. 

She stopped singing, she was afraid she had put too much emotion into the song. She had chosen the wrong song. Her feelings were rampaging but she was suddenly aware that he was staring at her.

"Your voice is magic, Nimuë. Whatever you sing becomes magic. Thank you." He picked up her hands and drew them to his lips. He turned each hand over and kissed the palm. Then he bade her good night and went down to the flat.

He stood listening to the sounds of the town and the sounds of his heart. When working in the garden he had gathered certain leaves together as he would have done for a potion. He looked at the four types of leaves and smiled to himself then he went to shower. 


	4. Rededication

A/N Thanks to FeralPirate for her excellent beta work for me. As usual this is JKR's world and characters. I am borrowing them for my dreamtime.

Chapter 4 Re-dedication

She was numb. She had sung for him and he had heard her magic and had not been revolted by it. She went inside, got ready for bed, turned the laptop on and found one last song to sing that night. She heard a noise at the door and suddenly he was there.The rosemary in his hands.

"Nimue?"

"Severus.?"

"I picked leaves today. Holly and Hawthorn, Rowan and Oak. All four are powerful, male, fire, Mars and Sun centric. I didn't realize why at the time. Now I do. They combine to form ancient spells of protection and renewal. The new beginning I sought starts here… With you."

He opened his arms and she walked into his embrace.

"Nimue, rosemary is for remembrance. I want to remember what it feels like to hold a woman in my arms again. I want to remember this night forever."

He bent his head to hers and kissed her. Her arms went around his neck and she felt his arms close around her.

He picked her up and carried to the bed. As he set her down he stripped the leaves from the rosemary stalks and scattered them over the bed, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and strewed the fragmented leaves as well. She reached up for him and pulled him down beside her. He touched her hair, her cheek, her jaw line, her throat, and her shoulder. He kissed her passionately tasting the aching need in her response.

Then suddenly he froze. He looked down at her, agony in his dark eyes, and slowly sat up. She sat up also and looked at him.

"Nimue, I will **not** do this. I want you. But I cannot take you like this. It is wrong. I'm not like that."

"Hush, Severus. It is all right. Hush. Just hold me."

He stripped off his shirt and lay down. He pulled her down to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Do you know how I was raised, Nimue? My parents were the most mismatched people ever to marry. He was a Muggle and she was Pureblood, as proud as if she were Queen. He beat her and me when he drank. He was very seldom sober. When my Mother was gone he would bring other women into their bed. He started bringing them home when she was there, at the end. The Christmas vacation, my last year at Hogwarts he beat her to death and the prostitute he'd brought home. I killed him, Nimue. I fought him and killed him. Dumbledore knew! I know he knew I had done it. He counselled me. He knew it had been instinctive, knew it was self defence, knew also that I had not planned it. He never told the Ministry. He protected me. I swore I would never act like my Father. Never. I want us to explore if our desire can grow into something more. Can you accept that? Please? I want more from this than just physical gratification."

"Yes. Now just hold me. If I could make it better, I would. I will. We can build the relationship without the sex."

"Shh, Nimue. Go to sleep. I'll hold you. "

He kissed her and settled her snugly against his side. He didn't sleep for a long time. His thoughts running wild kept him wide awake.

"Why am I telling her all these things? Am I so starved for companionship that I open like a flower to the sun? Or is it that she hasn't judged me.? That she can see beyond the old Severus Snape to the man I am now? Or am I going crazy like my Father did?"

Eventually sleep overtook him. He dreamed again about Hogwarts, but this time he was back in his seventh year. NEWT testing was almost over and he was trying to study outside, but every loud noise made him jump. He hadn't slept well since his Mother's funeral, and Potter, Black and Pettigrew were tormenting him again. He was gathering his books up to go back to the Slytherin dormitory when Sirius Black had hit him with a jelly legs jinx. His books had gone flying and he had fallen, then suddenly the curse had been gone. He saw a first year girl waving her wand at Sirius Black's back and saying 'Stupefy". She had helped him gather up his books and winked at him before running off. She'd had red blond hair and grey eyes. Then suddenly he was a teacher, his first Potions class. The same girl had dropped her cauldron when she saw him. Then after class, Charlie Weasley was teasing that same girl in the Halls. When Snape had passed them by, Charlie had started chanting "Nimue's got a crush on….. "But he couldn't finish what he was going to say because the girl had hexed him. Snape had ignored them, but he felt her eyes follow him. He saw the way she had looked at him in class, saw a girl who blushed when she saw him. He knew the girl was Nimue.

She woke long before he did. She covered him with the blanket and crept out to make tea. She brought the tray back to the bedroom and set it down on the table next to the bed. Then she brushed a stray lock of his hair off his face. He caught her hand and kissed the palm.

"How did you sleep, Nimue?" he smiled at her.

"The sound of your heart beating was the sweetest music I've ever heard. I was warm, secure, and happy. And you? How did you sleep, sweet Severus?"

"Holding you was as close to paradise as I will likely ever get. When I finally slept, I dreamed of you, of the way you were at Hogwarts. How you hexed both Sirius Black and Charlie Weasley. How you blushed whenever I called on you in class. How you dropped your cauldron in that first class I taught. You did have a crush on me, didn't you? Did you get over it or is this still adolescent adoration?"

"I grew out of the crush but I knew you would be important in my life. I knew I had to keep singing protective spells for you. I felt you would come back into my life. When the Ministry reported you as dead, I knew better."

"Nimue, I have opened up to you as I have never opened up to anyone except Albus Dumbledore. I feel so comfortable with you, so content. I want to keep that feeling. I want to recapture my old skills. I want to start making potions again. Not just nostrums to give the Muggles, but potions that actually can help people."

"Let's just take everything slowly, Severus. We have time. Neither one of us is on a time schedule. We can simply enjoy being together.We have months before Midsummer. Hermione is coming at Lammas for a visit! I just remembered."

"Damn! Oh well, that's months away. We have to get through the winter and other things first. "

"Yes, I'll teach you how to use the CD player and you can change the CDs today in the shop. The customers like the folk music ones best. Donovan, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie. Play some of the … never mind. I will put them in order for you. I want you to listen and tell me which you like best."

"I am yours for the whole day. I will play whatever songs you wish me to play on your Muggle machine. And I will catalog the ones I prefer. And I will sweep out the shop and the pavement in front. And whatever other little jobs you can think up. "

"Here is your tea, now get up and take a shower. "

He laughed and did as she requested. They spent that day in the shop and working on her garden. They fixed up a potions laboratory for him in the third bedroom. They created the Christmas theme for the shop and gifts for old friends. They read together, they laughed, they talked about their interests and he told her funny stories about various students over the years. They shopped for a tree and put it up to the traditional English carols. They helped decorate the street where the shop was located and they joined the group of carolers to sing to the tourists. They visited the children's ward at the local hospital and decorated it with the wreaths he had made.

They grew very close over the next months they spent together. January saw his 39th birthday and Nimue gave him potion ingredients. They worked together on potions and charms to sell in the shop. Nimue was sending his potions to St. Mungo's. They became each other's best friend, for months they worked side by side and fell into the easy companionship that grows into love so easily.

It was three days from the Midsummer Festival when Severus asked her to go through a handfasting with him. "It is almost being married. It lasts for a year and a day. If at the end of that year we decide we will not suit or haven't produced a child then we are both free, but if we decide to formalize it or you conceive, then we will marry. Will you do it Nimue? At Lammas? I need you, lass. I love you."

He went to the kitchen to get the wine and the glasses to celebrate as he waited for her answer. The sun was not yet down and they were sitting in the garden. She was stunned, she had not foreseen this. Tears of joy began to fill her eyes.

When he returned with the wine she gave him the answer he wanted so desperately.

"Yes! I will go through the handfasting, Severus. I need you, too. I have been in love with you since my first year at Hogwarts. Remus had told me stories of his friends at school and of the boy those friends tormented. He felt guilty that he wasn't brave enough to stand up to Potter and Black. You were in front of us when the train arrived that year. I almost fell and you instinctively reached out a hand to steady me. My heart was lost at that moment."

"Oh, Nimue, that was twenty one years ago. Now I know why I was drawn here. Your love called to me, your protective songs blended with the ancient magic here and called to me."

" I just found a letter that came today. It's from Hermione, she says Harry has finally persuaded the Ministry to investigate the disappearance of Severus Snape. There is to a meeting at The Ministry on the 9th of July. Harry has been agitating for this for a year. What do we do?"

"Go see him, but before the meeting and before Lammas. That is his birthday too. I think I would like him to stand up with me for the handfasting. Do you think that will work? See if you can find out if the boy is living at Grimmauld Place? Can you get in touch with Hermione any sooner than a letter?"

"Yes, you poor deprived wizard. There are things such as cell phones. Let me call her now."

She went inside and brought out the cell phone. She dialed a number and didn't get an answer so she left voice mail. "Hermione. It's Nimue. Call me back ASAP. I need to know if you, Ron, Ginny and Harry are doing anything for Lammas!? Very Important. Blessed be, love. Bye."

She set the phone down and leaned over to kiss Sev. He took a small bag from his pocket and opened it. He drew out an antique ring. A large rose cut diamond in the center surrounded by peridots and amethysts.

"This has been in my family for generations. It is yours now, as I am." He kissed her lightly and slipped the ring onto her left hand before the cell phone rang.

"Hermione! Hello, you don't know what Harry, Ron and Ginny are doing but you're going to Grimmauld Place tonight. Check with them, I want to invite all of you to a ceremony here at Lammas. Yes, I know it is Harry's birthday. We can combine the parties. I am to be handfasted. No, you don't know THIS man."

Severus laughed and nibbled at her neck.

Nimue continued, "Yes. And Ron is there also? We'll see you a couple of days before Lammas then. Blessed be, Hermione. Bye."

"Are you done talking? I want kisses, wench. What did she say about Harry and Ron?"

"They are both at Grimmauld Place. She is going there later.Oh, my gosh, we are going to have to register for the handfasting, and that means giving our names. Your name ,my darling. We are going to have to tell these folks something. "

He silenced her with a kiss. "Nimue, how many Wizards and Witches do you think are going to watch this Festival?"

"Why, Sev?"

"Because I want to know what would happen if I got up on stage with you and we sang a song together? I can play guitar. Or I just can hold you as we sing."

"Minerva and Poppy will be there, Sev, and If I know Hermione she will have rounded up Harry, Ron and Ginny and probably Arthur and Molly, too. There will be a lot of our kind there."

Sev considered this for a moment and then made a decision. He stood and held out his hand to her.


	5. Resurrection

A/N The world and the characters you recognise belong to JKR; I am merely extrapolating. AU to the max. Beta'd by the fab Feral Pirate. Review please 

"Nimuë, do we have two bottles of the really good elf made wine? Good, grab them, we're going visiting. Call Hermione back and tell her to go to Harry's in an hour or so, and to get Arthur and Molly there, also."

"Sev? This will mean our calm idyll will end. Are you sure you want to reappear?"

"Sure as I have ever been about anything, love. We are going to tell them tonight. "He laughed. His exile would end this night. They would again be a part of the world they were born in. His heart swelled with the knowledge that after this night, they would be together always. 

Within a half hour they had apparated to an alley around the corner from Grimmauld Place. Severus gave her a kiss and then they made their way to the front door. Sev performed a disillusioning charm on himself and disappeared.

Nimuë knocked on the door which was answered by Ron Weasley. He greeted her warmly. 

"Miss Hawke. It is good to see you. Have you come to see Harry? Come in, please."

"I have come to tell Harry that I have information on Professor Snape."

Ron whooped and called upstairs. "Harry, come down, someone's got information on Snape."

Harry ran downstairs. He smiled at Nimuë as she began her tale.

Nimuë hurriedly told Ron and Harry that Hermione and Ron's parents and Ginny were on their way. "I wanted you all to hear this news."

The fireplace suddenly lit up with green flames and Hermione, Ginny, Molly and Arthur appeared in rapid succession.

"Oh, Harry, I brought two bottles of wine. Would you get some glasses? Eight, I think." Nimuë said.

Harry asked first," Do you really has information on Professor Snape? Is he alive? Where is he?"

Ginny went to get the glasses and brought back eight glasses. Harry opened the wine and poured seven glasses. "Why the extra glass, Miss Hawke? Are we expecting someone else?"

"Not exactly, just pour the wine, it will become clear soon. Everyone please sit down. There is something I need to tell you." Nimuë said as she smiled at the touch of a warm hand on her back.

Everyone sat down and Harry sat across from the large mirror over the fireplace.

Everyone was looking at Nimuë as Severus reversed the disillusioning charm and stood behind Harry's chair. The boy glanced up and gasped; he jumped to his feet and yelled. Everyone was yelling and hugging Sev. He took it very good naturedly. Everyone was talking at once. Molly Weasley was crying.

"You are alive!" 

"How?"

"Where have you been?"

"Why didn't you come back?"

Severus picked up the eighth glass of wine and sat down next to Nimuë, taking her hand in his.

"Sorry to spring this on you, but we felt it was time I came back. I want to say that I really enjoyed watching the last battle at Hogwarts. I was quite impressed that Longbottom proved he is a true Gryffindor after all. And Molly, I do not think I ever want you mad at me, the way you finished Bellatrix was masterful. And Harry, I thank you for those kind words and the vindication. Yes I was there; I knew he would try to kill me when it was coming down to a battle with just the two of you left. I had extra protection from Nimuë; she had been singing protective spells for me for a very long time. I had made an antivenin for the snake's bite and hidden packets of a blood-like potion under the collar of my robes. I also took a vial of Felix Felicis before going to meet him. I was very weak when Harry took off with the vial of memories. I felt your hand touch me and heard the benediction you said, Hermione. Thank you. I managed to struggle back to the school and retrieve a vial of restorative elixir in the Headmasters office. I sat there for an hour or two until I heard him announce that you were dead. I knew you weren't dead anymore than I was but it felt very good to know that we had both slipped out of the traps he had set for us. I watched first from the parapets and then the back corner of the Great Hall. As the crowd was mobbing you, I managed to spit in his face before leaving. I have been living in the Muggle world and learning that we must heal their world the same way we have apparently healed our own. Nimuë has a plan for the Midsummer Festival. She is going to sing at the Festival. A healing spell concealed in a Muggle song or two. And then….." he looked to Nimuë to finish.

"And then at Lammas we want you all to come for the …." She began.

Hermione screamed, "The handfasting! You and Severus Snape! Nimuë! You said I didn't know the man!"

"No Hermione, I said you didn't know THIS man. This is not the Severus Snape you knew at Hogwarts. This is my Sev. This is a gentle, funny, brilliant, caring man. You cannot tell anyone yet. You have to promise."

"Harry, will you stand with me and you too, Ron?" Sev asked. 

"Hermione, will you and Ginny will stand with me?" Nimuë asked.

"Yes. Yes, we wish you happy."

Arthur Weasley said, "I will take care of the registration for the handfasting. Do you want me to let Kingsley know you have returned?"

"No, just invite him to the Midsummer Festival at Stonehenge two days from now. He'll figure it out when he sees me. Thanks, Arthur and you too, Molly. I hope we can build friendships now. I just needed to find out who and what I was after….."

"You have turned out to be a very nice man, I think." Molly Weasley twinkled at him as she kissed his cheek. Arthur shook his hand and kissed Nimuë on the cheek, smiling.

"Severus, I think Albus would be happy for you. You were vindicated by Harry and cleared of any charges by the Ministry. Kingsley will be very glad that our _**second **_hero has finally come home to those who owe him a vast debt. I'll confund the little wizard who takes care of handfasting registrations. We do wish you happy. Blessed be. "

Nimuë took one look at Harry's face and immediately moved everyone away from Harry and Sev so they could talk quietly together. She cast Muffliato so that they could talk privately.

"Sir, I am so ashamed, I never gave you the respect I should have. "

Sev looked at the boy and smiled. "Harry, it doesn't matter now. It is past. I wasn't easy to respect or like. I had too much bitterness built up in me from years of emptiness. I had loved your Mother as my only friend and had started to have adolescent feelings for her which never went anywhere due my interest in the Dark Arts. I felt responsible when Riddle began to hunt your parents. I had been very jealous of your Father, Harry, and resentful. He was popular and had friends. I had only Lily and then not even her after our fifth year. I turned fully to the only place I was accepted. I became deeply immersed in evil, Harry. It was only when Riddle decided to kill your parents that I went to Dumbledore and agreed to be his spy. I was 20 years old, Harry and my emotional age was somewhat less than that. I served Albus for years and I was still emotionally crippled. I was horrible to my students but especially to you. I needed time to grow, Harry, time away from the sneers and the suspicion, time to find a woman who accepts me for who and what I am, time to see myself and forgive myself."

"Professor…."

"Severus, Harry. I am not your teacher anymore. I just want to be your friend."

"Severus then, thank you for all you did. Thank you for coming here tonight, for telling us your news, and for asking me to stand with you at the handfasting. I am so glad you did not die. I lost too many people and I am glad you have someone now. I would like to be friends with you. "

Sev put his arm around the boy's shoulders and hugged him. 

"Consider us family, Harry. You are welcome any time; we would welcome the four of you if you want to visit Glastonbury any time soon. We need to get back now but think about it."

He removed the Muffliato spell and beckoned to Nimuë. They said their goodbyes and apparated back to their house.

"Sev, I think I found the song for Lammas. It is by Dan Fogelberg and is called 'Longer?'"

"Sing it to me before we go to bed. Nimuë, this night is the start of our lives together. This is our true wedding night."

"I know, my love. Turn down the bed, I'm going to shower. You are welcome to join me."

He brought a bottle of wine to the bedroom and turned down the bed then he joined her in the shower.

When they were out of the shower he waved his wand to turn down the lights and poured wine for them both. They lay across the bed talking softly. When Nimuë had finished her wine Sev took her glass and placed it on the bedside stand. He only had a few drops left in his glass and he dribbled it onto Nimuë, at her throat then her breasts then her stomach and finally into the curls at the juncture of her thighs. He proceeded to lick the wine from her body. She arched up against his lips and pulled him to her. Her hands clutched his hair pulling his face to hers. Her lips opened against his and she moaned. He captured her wrists pulling them over her head as he rolled over on top of her. His hands were warm against her naked flesh as he touched her, worshipped her, and made her his. They lay wrapped together afterwards with her head on his shoulder. Her fingers traced old scars on his chest. She rose up to kiss each scar and licked the side of his neck, the remnants of the snake's bite. She even kissed the Dark Mark on his arm.

"Thought to thought, heart to heart. We will always be together, my love. "She purred. She kissed the freckles on his shoulders. "I could have lost you before I found you. I could not have stood that. You are everything to me, Sev."

He smiled at her and pulled her down to him once more. They made love again before finally falling asleep.

The next morning Nimuë contacted Rhys Jones that the two of them were going to sing at the Festival. She found her old guitar in her office and tuned it for Sev to practice on. Sev bought plants and set the garden out as it should be. He worked in the shop in the afternoon and discovered that he actually liked discussing things with the Muggle customers. The bell on the door rang again just before closing time and he heard a familiar voice. He didn't turn around at once but kept his back to the woman. He ducked into the office and sent Nimuë out to greet Minerva. 

"Hello, Minerva. Are you here for the Festival?"

"Yes, Nimuë. Hermione told me that you were going to try to sing healing charms during the evening and I thought possibly Poppy and I might be of some assistance. Everyone will be here. Arthur was most insistent that we all come lend our voices. We won't bother you; we are staying with Poppy's sister. Molly and Arthur will be here in the morning. They will have the tent set up somewhere. Would you like to have dinner with us, child?"

"Not tonight, Minerva. I have some last minute things to do around here. But I will see you in the morning."

"Indeed you will, child. Good evening."

Nimuë closed and locked the door after Minerva left. Then she went back into the office. Sev handed her a glass of wine and kissed her.

"That was a shock. I thought sure Hermione had let the secret out. But Minerva is just one of those who feel it is imperative to be early for everything. She didn't see your face did she, love?"

"No, probably thought I was just a surly shop assistant but I did get you out there to talk to her. I think we are safe for now."

"She'll be back in the morning. Early I would guess. The Weasleys are urging everyone to be here. I guess we are going to be in for it when you reappear. "

"We'll think about that when we get to it, love. For now let's have dinner and practice our songs."

He took up the guitar and re-tuned it to his satisfaction. Then he sat and the edge of the large armchair and began to play. She had their dinner on the table and a wine glass waiting for him when he was done playing. 

"To the rebirth of Severus Snape." She said.

"No, lass, to us. And our future."

They slept in each other's arms that night. 

The next morning they finalised the songs they would sing. They had decided on"What the world needs now is Love" 

Nimuë would sing another song and had decided on Ewan MacColl's haunting"First time ever I saw your face"

Hermione came banging on the door soon after they had packed up the guitar and their music.

She hugged Nimuë and Sev before handing him a hat. "I headed Minerva off so she wouldn't see you too soon. You will need to wear this if you don't want to start a riot among the wizarding folk. And you need to wear your oldest jeans and your shirt should be open to your waist and keep the hat low across your face. And you, Nimuë, should wear this gauze blouse I brought and your long tie-dyed skirt. Keep to the hippie chic musician thing. Harry is about to burst with this. He is so glad you're alive. We have Neville and Luna coming, Seamus Finnegan and Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas, too. Neville's Grandmother is coming. My parents are going to be there. We are all going to be camping out towards Old Sarum. Ron brought the Weasley's extra tent for the two of you. You are going to have to endure a lot of celebrating tonight, Professor."

"Hermione, just call me Severus. I am not your teacher anymore. What do you propose to do about this?"

He held up his left forearm with its fading Dark Mark. 

"The only thing that will take that off is in this vial. Phoenix tears. Dumbledore left a vial at Grimmauld Place with your name on it. Harry just found it recently. "She handed the vial to Nimuë who poured three drops onto Sev's forearm. The Dark Mark melted away. Healthy, unscarred flesh had replaced it. He kissed Hermione's cheek and thanked her. 

They saw Hermione back to the restaurant where her parents were waiting. Then suddenly it was time to go.

Nimuë had arranged for them to ride with Rhys and his crew to the festival. They arrived in plenty of time and found that they were on the schedule exactly half an hour before sunset. Sev kept his hat on while he and Nimuë wandered about the festival. She had their wands in her bag just in case they were needed. They reported back to the stage area in plenty of time to get ready. Nimuë took her wand out of her purse and tucked it into her waistband. A stagehand brought a barstool out for Sev to sit on while he played. The same stagehand fastened a microphone onto Sev's shirt and near his guitar. He gave Nimuë a headset microphone and a lopsided grin. He was a previous student of Sev's and had taken the resurrection of his old teacher very well.

"You two go on in two minutes. Good luck with what you are doing." The boy had nodded at Nimuë's wand.

For luck Nimuë slid her arms around Sev's neck and kissed him. He pulled her against him and murmured into her hair," Careful, my beloved witch, I don't want to go onstage fully erect. Too much information for the Muggles, I think."

She giggled and the light came up. Sev took his chair and began the song.

Nimuë waved her wand at Severus as if it were a baton and then waved it at the audience and the cameras.

"I want you all to sing with us.What the world needs now is love, sweet love……"

Her healing spell and the cheering charm that Sev was murmuring went out over the airwaves and reached many more people than they had thought they would. Everyone in the audience was singing along as well as the film crew and the stagehands. Immediately after they finished the first song Sev handed Nimuë the guitar and lifted her onto the barstool. He stood next to her and she began the second song. 

"The first time ever I saw your face…"

He let her sing the first verse and chorus by herself then added his raspy, drawly baritone to her voice as she sang the second and third verses. When they reached the verse that went" The first time ever I lay with you" he pulled the hat off and tossed it to Hermione in the audience. Then they faced the audience to take their bows. The stagehand retrieved the microphones as the lights went down on their stage and ushered them back out into the applauding crowd. The wizards and witches in the audience had gone wild when Sev had tossed his hat to Hermione. There were voices clamouring for them at the front of the stage.

"That was brilliant, Professor. They will all know you are back now. Take care of him, Nimuë. Blessed be, you two."

She winked at him and dragged Sev out to the edge of the crowd where she saw the Weasleys and Kingsley Shacklebolt waiting.


	6. Reemployment

A/N The world and the characters you recognise belong to JKR; I am merely extrapolating. AU to the max. Beta'd by the fab Feral Pirate. Review please 

Shacklebolt was laughing and hugged Nimuë before shaking Sev's hand.

"I am so glad to see you. Hell, we are all so glad you survived. You worried everyone, Severus. You have a bunch of medals coming, friend. But I am not going to push you for any speech making or Ministry promoting photo-ops. You deserve a hell of a lot more than we could ever do for you. Got any plans?"

"Just a handfasting at Lammas, and starting a potions business, maybe. Why?

"I have a proposition for you. I need someone to teach the Aurors every spell, hex, charm and curse that Tom Riddle used against us in the last war and you are the best candidate. It would mean that you were working for the Ministry as the Minister of Defence against the Dark Arts. It isn't Hogwarts but it's still teaching DADA. Owl me later in the week if you want to talk about it. We can talk at my house for dinner, privately."

Severus was aghast. "You want me to ….?"

Kingsley grinned at him. "Who better to fill that post?"

Nimuë's hand crept into Sev's hand and squeezed tightly. "It is perfect for you, the opportunity of a lifetime, Sev. You could still build the potions business and we still have the shop in Glastonbury. Go for it."

Sev looked at Nimuë and then at Kingsley. "Let me think about it. I'll let you know soon." But he knew he would take it.

By now, almost all of the wizarding community who were attending the festival had gathered behind the Weasleys to welcome Sev back. Ron, Harry and Hermione told Nimuë that the tent for them had been set up at the campsite and that they would try to control the flow of people who wanted to see Sev. Hermione took a hand of each of them and disapparated to the campground. She showed them where their tent was and went back to the festival. They stowed the guitar in the tent and returned to the festival.

Minerva McGonagall was waiting for them. She hugged Sev and cried over him. "Albus would have been so pleased that you survived. And so very glad that you two found each other. He always knew….he told me…. Oh, hell, you should both know. That year you sang at the Christmas Concert, Nimuë dear, Albus said that the two of you were made for each other, but not for years yet would it come to pass. He was right as usual. I am so happy for you both."

Nimuë hugged Minerva tightly. She had tears running down her face as she whispered to Minerva, "I knew it, too. Will you come see us handfasted, Minerva? Celebrate with us at Lammas? Right, Sev?"

"Minerva, we would be honoured to have you there. Please." He leaned to kiss her cheek before calling to Harry.

Minerva looked at Nimuë amazed. "He is so very different, child. He is relaxed, happy. He looks years younger. You are good for him, Nimuë."

"As he is for me, Minerva. I am hoping he will take Kingsley up on his offer. Can you imagine Sev as the Minister of Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

"Actually, Nimuë, I can imagine it. He is a dedicated, driven man. He could teach the Aurors every curse, every hex, every bit of evil that Tom Riddle ever thought of. And he could teach them how to use Legilimency and Occlumency to fight any evil that arises. He could work with the Healers at St. Mungo's to create potions as cures for curses. He can do so much good, Nimuë. You both can. You both seem to move back and forth between our world and that of the Muggles easily. You enjoy the Muggle world. The two of you could be the bridge between the two cultures. Harry has suggested that you have the handfasting at Grimmauld Place as well as the reception. I think that is what he is talking to Severus about now. You have made that boy very happy. He was distraught that he had never made peace with Severus and had misjudged him so badly. Ron Weasley, too, felt very bad. Eventually I will no longer want to be Headmistress at Hogwarts. The position will naturally fall to the most powerful wizard, the one who has shown the most courage or wisdom. Severus will be chosen, this time by his peers and not the Dark Lord. He may not have loved his students but he did love teaching. He has mellowed so much. He has, I hope, finally forgiven himself for so many things. Blessed be, Nimuë. Make him happy."

Severus arrived back at Nimuë's side and kissed her.

"Whatever are my two favourite witches discussing so solemnly?"

"You and the future. Why?" Nimuë knew he was up to something.

"Harry has suggested we turn the rest of the night into a Ceilidh. He wants us to play and sing for them all back at the campsite. Shall we, love? Apparently Seamus has his pipes with him and Lavender Brown plays a flute. Ron had his twelve string guitar too. I think that between the Muggleborns and the wizards, we know enough music to keep singing all night. Filius has brought his fiddle, too. So he has decided to play us some Irish fiddle music. I am hoping I can get you and Hermione to sing some of the Muggle songs I like so much."

"And when you don't have a guitar in your hands you'll dance with me?"

"Of course and between us I think Filius and I can produce even some of Minerva's favourite music. I know for a fact that she has a soft spot for Bobby Burns' songs. Maybe I'll get her to dance a reel with me."

"I know the words to most of his bawdier songs and a few of the love songs. We'll do a run of Welsh and Irish and Scots, then. With our own English songs tempered with some American ones. And if my lady Minerva won't dance with you, then I will." Nimuë was teasing him.

"Come with me then, lass. We'll away to the music. And you, too, Lady Min." Severus was laughing and happy.

Minerva McGonagall went with them when they disapparated to the campsite. They found Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione getting ready for the Ceilidh. Harry had cast the Muffliato charm so that the music would not bother the folks trying to sleep or the surrounding area. There were perhaps forty or fifty people around the fire.

Sev called out for any requests. No one gave him any suggestions so he started with Donovan's 'Colours'.

Then he switched to Woody Guthrie's 'Gypsy Davy'. He and Nimuë sang songs together and to each other for over an hour. He surprised Nimuë with a rough, gravelly version of The Box Tops' 'Soul Deep'. Next he chose Glen Yarbrough's 'Baby the Rain Must Fall'. Nimuë countered with The Pointer Sisters' version of Bruce Springsteen's 'Fire'. Then Filius Flitwick took out his fiddle and played 'Farrell O'Gara'. That got everyone's blood moving. Seamus Finnegan played 'Scotland the Brave' on the pipes.

Sev handed the guitar to Nimuë and told her to play a specific Burns song. He and Minerva did a duet on 'My Heart's in the Highlands'.  
They finished the evening with the song that had brought them together so many years ago.

'All through the Night'.

Nimuë took the guitar back to their tent and realised she was too keyed up to sleep yet. She sat down with the guitar and began to play a melody Sev had never heard before.

The words she sang astounded him.

Hawthorn and Holly, Rowan and Oak.

Gather it green to splutter and smoke.

Take to the Grove pine boughs and heather,

Vervain and rue, gathered together.

Mistletoe cut with a Druid's gold blade

A leaf from each tree that grows in the glade.

Mist from the lake, cool water from the well,

Preserve and protect Severus, my spell...

Spices and herbs, name them in rhyme,

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Apples from Avalon, mead from the west,

Defend and keep safe the one I love best.

Take the herbs and the spices, the potion to brew,

Valerian and fox glove, pine cones and yew,

Plants from the house and more plants from the field,

Leaves from the forest with these I will shield.

Magic of Merlin, taught to Niniane of Ness,

I beseech the powers of the One Goddess,

Help me to save him, keep the Dark Lord at bay,

May light, love and magic triumph this day!

Bind us together for all time to come.

Seal love in our hearts tight as a drum.

Weave love and magic into the fabric of time.

Pledged forever his lips upon mine.

He drew a ragged breath before asking, "**That** was the spell you sang every day?"

"Yes. From the time you left school until you walked into the shop in Glastonbury. Every morning."

"Merlin! It is no wonder I fell in love with you. You kept me safe with ancient magic, lass. Brewing potions with words and music. There are Druid traces in that spell. Magic of Merlin, indeed. Taught to Niniane of Ness. Your ancestress, I'm guessing. There is much more to you than I imagined, Nimuë. You could have sung a spell to Defeat the Dark Lord on your own, lass. Didn't you know that?

"Druid? Sev, what are you talking about? The form of the spell is a secret handed down from mother to daughter for centuries. There is a story, unconfirmed of course, that my mother's family was descended from Niniane. Are you saying it is true? Severus?"

"I do not know love. It could very well be true. But It makes no difference to who you are. It only makes me even more in awe of you." He pulled her close and held her.

"Sev, you are a warm, caring, sexy, virile male at the top of his powers. And I am the one in awe of you, that you actually love me."

He laughed at her again and looked around the tent. The interior was set up to look like a William Morris cottage. Dark woods with rich fabrics and a tile fireplace. Lots of copper and intricate friezes along the walls. He knelt to create a small blue-flamed fire in the grate. Then he took her in his arms again. And began to sing softly to her. 

Outside the tent Harry heard Sev singing to Nimuë and smiled. He had seen the ring on her hand and the glances the two had exchanged and was very glad for them. He sincerely wished all happiness for Severus.

He had offered Grimmauld Place for the handfasting or the reception. Severus had said that they had planned on the handfasting to be at the top of the Tor, but Harry's offer was a better idea. Severus had thanked him and renewed the invitation for Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione to come visit them in Glastonbury. Harry felt like he had another family now besides the Weasleys and the Teachers at Hogwarts. He went off to tell Ron and the girls that they were going to go to Glastonbury for sure in a couple of weeks.

In the tent Severus had carried Nimuë up to bed and tucked her in. He sat downstairs and contemplated all that had happened that day, the astounding offer from Kingsley, the festival, the ceilidh, the thoughts of having a child with Nimuë. He dozed off and was instantly standing in the sun room of the house in Glastonbury. A small boy was playing in the garden. Reddish brown hair and dark eyes. His own smile looked back at him from the child's face. A tug at his hand was a toddler girl with black hair and grey eyes and Nimuë's dimples, His children with Nimuë. He had seen the living proof of their love. A soft whisper caught his attention, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin and Remus Lupin stood before him.

"Severus, you will make a good father. We left Harry as Godfather to Teddy who is being raised by my mother, Andromeda Tonks. She is in very bad health. Harry has no way to take care of Teddy. Can you see that he goes to a safe place, a good home? "

"Remus, Nymphadora, the boy is family. Nimuë is his cousin. We will take him, raise him as our own. Harry can still continue as godfather but Teddy will come to us when Andromeda can no longer take care of him."

Sometime later Severus woke up in the chair and went upstairs to climb into bed next to Nimuë. He fell back asleep with her head nestled on his shoulder. He smiled as he held her.

In the morning, he took Harry aside and explained what he had dreamed and discussed Teddy Lupin with Harry. Harry concurred that it would be best for Severus and Nimuë to take the boy until Harry was settled enough to do so. In the end they decided that eventually Teddy would spend time with both families and decide where he wanted to live when he was old enough. Severus was very open with Harry when he told the boy that he was a bit scared by the prospect of taking a young child into their home. 

"Harry, I am nervous about having children of our own. Hell, I am almost forty. Nimuë is thirty four. We aren't kids. And Kingsley has this insane idea to …."

"Make you the Minister for Defence Against the Dark Arts? Yeah, I know. He talked to Arthur Weasley and me about it last night. I think it is a terrific idea. You are a great teacher when you teach DADA. And who else knows as much about what was used against us as you do. There simply is no one better for that job. And I will let you in a secret; Minerva McGonagall has every intention of nominating you to replace her as Headmaster of Hogwarts when the time comes. She is adamant that you are the only candidate fit for the post. You can't hide anymore and Shacklebolt has a job in mind for Nimuë, too. He wants her as Ambassador to the Muggles, says the two of you have been living in that world so well that he might as well take advantage of the fact. Us poor Aurors are going to have to work our tails off if you start teaching us everything Riddle and his henchmen used against us. So, are you going to take the job?"

"Do I have a choice? Someone has to write the history of this whole mess. I think you and I are going to be doing most of that and most of the teaching. Hell, Harry, I just wanted to start a small potions business and stay happily in Glastonbury with Nimuë. Now I am a blasted Minister. And my prospective bride is going to be an Ambassadress. Bloody hell. Oh, and another thing, she is apparently a direct descendent of Niniane and Merlin. She can sing Druid spells. Quite a lot going on in a life I had hoped would be quiet and peaceful. So, have you asked Ginevra to marry you yet?"

"You don't miss much do you? No, not yet, but I think I will when we come to Glastonbury. I thought we would come about two weeks before the handfasting. We can help out in the shop and the garden and play tourist. And tease you both of course."

"Wonderful. I will have seen Andromeda by then and have an idea as to when we need to get Teddy. And I guess I'll be formulating a teaching routine for the Auror training."

"Ron and I will help. Hermione can help with writing the history; you know it is exactly her kind of thing. We will help you with whatever we can. All you have to do is ask. And you know Molly will help you and Nimuë with Teddy. She would love to help with any little ones. You know how she is."

" Well, I had best be getting my lady back home and preparing myself for the horrifying prospect of going to work for the Ministry of Magic. Owl us or get Hermione to call on her cell phone when you are coming out. I'm going to see if I can get Nimuë to look at larger houses since it looks like we are going to need more room. Take care, Harry."

He found Nimuë up and packing their things to go home. She ran out to tell Molly they were leaving. Sev picked up the guitar and Nimuë's bag with their other clothes. She dashed back in time to be enfolded in Sev's arms before he disapparated them back home.

When they were arrived at home they found an owl from Kingsley waiting for them. Sev wrote a reply which told Kingsley that he would be arriving at the Ministry that afternoon to discuss things. He and Nimuë showered and changed clothes before having lunch and then flooed to the Ministry. There were no reporters, no fanfare, and no exploitation tactics, simply Percy Weasley to meet them and conduct them to the Minister's office. He shook Sev's hand and wished them well and disappeared back into a side office after showing them into Kingsley Shacklebolt's reception area.

Kingsley himself opened his door and ushered them inside. He indicated chairs at a table and they all sat down.

"I take it you are either going to take the job or tell me to take myself and my ideas out of your life. I hope you'll take the job, though. I can use a man I can trust to be honest with me at my right hand. There are far too many of the old fools from Fudge's era around. He is persona-non-grata around here now. And we put Umbridge in Azkaban for her abuse of power and the physical abuse of young Potter. She is truly a warped and insane individual. Now, how are you, both of you?"

"I will take the job, Kingsley. It is time I put my knowledge of the Dark Arts to a constructive use. I warn you now that I have no intention of teaching them mediocrity. They will learn the complete repertoire Riddle had amassed and also the seductive power of the Dark Arts. I want to be able to institute an unbreakable vow; so that each one I teach will never use that knowledge against innocents. And, I want to serve on the Regents Board for Hogwarts. I want to modify the curriculum to quit teaching mediocrity and to implement classes for Squibs. "

"Oh, yes, my friend. You have all that and more. You seem to have figured out exactly what I want to do in the next few years. I want to bring our world into alignment with the Muggle world. I want you and Nimuë to continue to live in the Muggle world. You can be the example that the worlds do not have to fear each other. I look forward to working with you again, Severus. Thank you."

Nimuë asked one question. "What time frame are we looking at for him to start teaching the Aurors?"

"First week in September is soon enough. I think you two have a handfasting to get through and possibly adding a toddler to your home. Two months should get all that sorted. And then we'll have a meeting with the entire Wizengamot about changes. Thanks for coming in. Good to see you Nimuë. Congratulations, Severus. She is too good for you but I think you may prove me wrong. Seriously, I am very pleased that the two of you are together. I'll let you know if there are any updates you need to know about. Your office will be down on the same floor as the Aurors. Come back and see me any time. And thanks for taking this position."

They said goodbye and took the floo network to The Leaky Cauldron. They spoke to Tom the bartender before going on into Diagon Alley. He left Nimuë at Flourish & Blotts. Severus headed directly for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He wanted to talk to George. He asked to talk to George in the office.

\/p> 


	7. Redemption

A/N The world and the characters you recognise belong to JKR; I am merely extrapolating. AU to the max. Beta'd by the fab Feral Pirate. Review please 

George did not seem too surprised to Severus Snape in his shop. He agreed to talk in the office. They walked up the stairs talking about trivialities. Once inside the office, George sat down and motioned for Sev to sit. Sev declined and began to pace about the room.

"Mr. Weasley, I realise that a degree of time has gone by since your injury, but as I was the one who both cast the curse and invented it, I would like to try to reverse the curse, if you are willing to let me try."

"Professor, I know you were not aiming for me. I know you have been trying to put right things that the Death Eaters did to our world and the Muggle world. My ear isn't a problem. I forgave you a long time ago. If you really want to try, go ahead, but I am used to it now. What do you want me to do?"

"Sit down, George. Let me look at this. Oh, hell, I need Nimuë for this; she is going to have to help me sing the incantation."

Within minutes one of the girls from the shop below was showing Nimuë into the office.

"You said you needed me, I am here. Hello, George. What do you need, Sev?"

"I need you to help me sing the counter curse to see if we can restore George's ear. I must use Legilimency to give you the form for the counter curse. Then we must sing it very softly. "

"Sev, if you know the words, I will know the words. The protective spell I sang for so long has literally bound us together. Remember what I said our first night together, heart to heart, thought to thought, forever. It seems I joined our magic and well as our thoughts. I did not realise this would happen, but I think you knew when you heard the spell. That is why I heard you when you said you needed me here."

"As I thought, now we must sing the incantation. Hold still, George. This won't hurt. Now Nimuë. Let us begin."

Together they sang the quiet spell and when they were done George put his hand up to his missing ear and laughed.

"I can feel something. It itches. Feels like it is re-growing. Can you tell?"

Nimuë answered with a grin. "Yes, George, the ear is growing back."

The three of them talked for an hour until Sev could judge the success of the counter curse. They told George about the job offer and that they were going to take Teddy Lupin to raise. When Sev was sure that the ear was growing back to his satisfaction, they made their goodbyes.

George was grinning as he shook Sev's hand and thanked him. "You are going to make a hell of a Minister, sir. And can I invite myself to your handfasting? "

Severus shrugged and said," George, your whole family has been invited. Even Percy. Bring that brunette you fancy. Might get you in a mind to settle down yourself. And tell Bill and Charlie that their teasing paid off. They will understand, they were at school with Nimuë. I am glad it worked. I feel like I have paid my debt to your family."

"You mean she is THAT Nimuë, the one that hexed Charlie? The one Charlie still talks about? He really liked her. Erm, I guess I shouldn't have said that. "George had the Weasley blush spread across his face.

Nimuë was laughing at the two of them. "George, Charlie and Bill terrorized me in my first years at Hogwarts. They teased me continuously. They nearly made me crazy."

Sev grabbed Nimuë's hand and hurried her out of the office and down the stairs. "We need to find Andromeda. I want to talk to her about Teddy. Have any ideas where she might be?"

"None whatsoever, after her home burned I think she moved in with Nymphadora and Remus. In Nymphadora's old flat. But I don't know where that is. Can we go home? We can owl Harry or Arthur from there. "

At that moment a hand reached out to Sev and stopped him. He turned to find Lucius Malfoy looking very unhappy.

"Severus, I heard you had returned from the ranks of the missing. Is there any chance we could talk, privately?"

"No, Lucius, we have nothing in common. I cannot help you with anything."

"Severus, it is Draco. He has disappeared. I cannot track him because I am still awaiting trial, as is Narcissa. We have no one to ask, except you."

"He will have gone to ground, Lucius, somewhere he feels safe. You need to contact Harry. He will find him for you. I am sorry."

"Very well, I will contact young Potter at the Ministry. I understand you are to be handfasted soon. Is this the lady?"

"Yes, Nimuë Hawke, Remus Lupin's cousin. We are going to take Lupin's son into our home. Wait, Narcissa is Andromeda's sister. Do you know where Andromeda is, Lucius? We need to see her about the boy. I think she is not in good health."

"Narcissa heard that Andromeda had moved to Ottery St. Catchpole. She has friends there, I believe. Pleasant to meet you Miss Hawke. Congratulations, Severus. Thank you for that much help. Oh, the Aurors never caught Rodolphus. He will be looking to harm those who brought down the Dark Lord. Watch yourself and those you care for, Severus." He nodded to Sev and swirled away back into a shop.

Sev looked concerned after Lucius left but shrugged and conveyed Nimuë to Madame Malkin's. "We both need new robes. And you need to decide on a dress for the ceremony. If I am going to play at being a Minister then I should have some robes that at least look presentable. I have nothing from my old life. I guess we should go back to my old house and see about getting it sold. I do not ever want to live there again. We will go tomorrow. "

Sev ordered dress robes and work robes as well. Nimuë ordered a new dress cape with a hood. It was a light olive green reversing to copper silk; the wedding dress could wait for another day. 

They arrived back home before dark and Sev sent an owl to the Burrow asking if Arthur or Molly knew where Andromeda Tonks was, the reply came by return owl. 

"She is living in a cottage at the edge of Ottery St. Catchpole. Molly writes she is pining away. The loss of her husband and her daughter is proving too much for her to bear. We had best see her tomorrow. Then we can go to Spinner's End. I will apologise now for the house. It is very depressing. I hated that house. Still do, in fact. I want it gone, Nimuë, I want to wipe out all traces of the wretched, unhappy man I used to be."

"But then you would erase the serious, passionate student I fell in love with my first year at Hogwarts. Let him fade, love, he will always be a part of you but only a shadow of the man you are now. You are so much more now than that man who taught at Hogwarts. That Severus Snape would rather have bathed in ground glass than fix George Weasley's ear or sung love songs in front of forty other wizards and witches. That Snape would never have asked a Gryffindor female to be his wife. I like this updated version of Severus Snape."

"I would suggest you go wash up, love. Lucius Malfoy is not the sort of person I want touching my bride, even if he was only touching your hand. He makes my skin crawl. I had to endure his so-called friendship for years but if I ever see him again I will give him the cut direct. He doesn't deserve to breathe the same air you do. I wonder how many of the Death Eaters are still awaiting trial and wandering around loose."

"Why don't you owl Harry and find out. You could warn him he may hear from Malfoy senior and ask him to have a recce for Draco. And ask Harry if he wants to go with us to Godric's Hollow with us sometime? It is time you saw where I grew up. In fact, it is one street over from the house where Harry was born." 

What she did not say but thought, was that maybe she could get Sev and Harry to go to the cemetery and put flowers on Lily's grave. That was another way for them to bond. She wanted them to bond. She knew Harry had lost the only person who was even close to being real family when Sirius Black was killed; she also knew that Severus had never gotten over the fact that Lily Evans had married James Potter. She sensed too, that they could help each other to finally heal and find closure. She felt that Teddy Lupin was going to bring the two into closer contact and she wanted to offer Harry access to his godson and also bring Harry into the warm loving circle of the Snape home. She wanted to make the best possible home for Sev and Teddy, and if that meant including Harry Potter in the family, then she would welcome Harry with open arms and the fatted calf.

She went upstairs to shower and change her clothes so that Sev would be sure that she was no longer defiled by the touch of Lucius Malfoy. She came back downstairs and found Sev drinking a glass of the elf-made wine. She took the glass he had poured for her and sipped at it. 

"We need to discuss some things, Sev. Things I don't know your views on. Things I want, that I am not sure you do."

"I assume you mean things like children, pets, keeping our family in either the wizarding world or in the Muggle world, or keeping a foot in each. Am I correct?"

"Yes. Don't keep me in suspense. Tell me!"

"Dinner should be arriving momentarily. I sent an owl, as you so kindly suggested and Harry and Hermione have decided to visit us and bring Greek food. They asked me to provide the drinks and I have walked down the street and found a wonderful bottle of Greek wine for us to drink. We will discuss my preferences during dinner. That way you have witnesses in case I later decide to conveniently forget what I said. Is that satisfactory, my love? He kissed her neck and finished setting the vase of rosemary on the table.

Just then the fireplace flashed with green flames and Hermione appeared followed closely by Harry.

Harry handed the bag of food to Severus and Hermione hugged Nimuë. Hermione then asked Sev what she could do to help. He grinned at her and told her to get the wine glasses out of the cabinet. She brought the four glasses in and also the corkscrew. 

Nimuë was busy putting plates and silverware of the table. Harry had gotten bowls for the food and serving spoons.

The four of them sat down to eat and Sev immediately told Harry about Draco Malfoy having gone missing. And that Lucius had provided information about where Andromeda Tonks was living at the present, and that Rodolphus Lestrange was still out there with intentions of harming those who helped bring down his master. Sev said that, of all people to warn him, it had been Lucius who had told him.

"I had hoped that, since Nimuë is Teddy's cousin and I am now joining the family and you are Teddy's godfather, that the three of us should visit Andromeda together. Possibly in the morning. As tomorrow is Sunday you shouldn't have any Auror duties to attend to hopefully. "

"I would like to go with you. I haven't seen Teddy since Christmas."

Nimuë thought it would be a good time to bring up Godric's Hollow. "Harry, I plan on taking Sev to the house I grew up in. It is on the next street over from your parents' home. Would you like to come with us to Godric's Hollow after seeing Andromeda?"

"I guess so. If you wouldn't mind, Severus. I could put flowers on my parents' graves."

Sev looked at Nimuë and smiled. "I'll come with you Harry. We can talk about Teddy and other things. Now, Hermione what have you been doing?"

"I brought some bridal magazines for Nimuë to look at. And I want to ask if I can take over the shop when the two of you go on honeymoon?"

Nimuë and Sev looked at each other and cracked up laughing. "We haven't even thought about a honeymoon. But yes, you can take over the shop if we go somewhere. Sev?"

"Well, the Greek food gives me an idea. Would you like to visit a Greek island for our honeymoon?"

"I would go to the depths of the ocean with you, love. Anywhere you want to go is perfectly fine with me. My idea of Elysium is anywhere I can be alone with you. Now you promised we would have a discussion…"

"Very well. You two young people are witness to this. I, Severus Snape, have no aversions to children or pets. If and when we have children of our own, I will be delighted. As long as they have their mother's sunny disposition."

Harry and Hermione were sitting with their mouths hanging open at Sev's words. Then they both started to giggle.

"Children! This is not funny. Nimuë wanted to know how I felt about certain things and I thought it would be good to have you two witness what I told her in case I try to act like I never said it. "He was teasing all three of them now. "And I think that all of us are going to be active in both the wizarding world and the Muggle world. I think that is where Kingsley is heading. There is no longer any good reason to maintain the separation. More and more of the young wizards and witches are Muggle born. Look at Hermione. She is undoubtedly the most brilliant witch of her generation. The two worlds are starting to overlap. We need to start blending the worlds. Even start a school for Squibs at Hogwarts. Some of them are not totally non-magical; they simply have not come into their own yet."

"I am not sure that Kingsley intends to go quite that far, Sev. But you do make a good point about there being more and more Muggle born magical children. Hermione and I looked it up once. Until 1960, only 3 percent of the students at Hogwarts were Muggle born. Since 1960 that number has steadily risen to the current level of 26 percent. The percentage of half blood children has risen sharply also. And with most of the pure blood families having one or more members in Azkaban or dead in the last war the number is likely to rise even further. Even I have some Muggle blood back several generations. As did Remus. Our great, great, great grandmother ran off with a Romany boy. She gave birth to twins. The boy became Remus' great, great grandfather and the girl my great, great grandmother. Ariadne and her Romany lived in Godric's Hollow until he left when the twins were almost grown. The last she heard of him, he was in Manchester. He had taken another witch as wife and sired a son named Pendragon."

Sev started at that and looked hard at Nimuë. "My great grandfather and my grandfather were both named Pendragon Prince. My family has been in Manchester since the Restoration. It was a family legend that we were descended from Charles II."

"I feel like a nobody. You all have family histories that go back hundreds of years and I doubt if my family can trace itself back five generations." Hermione wailed.

Sev patted her hand and tried to comfort her. "That is only a family legend. There is another family legend that we can trace back to the Sherriff of Nottingham. The one that gave Robin Hood such a bad time, that one is probably truer than I wish to believe. Hermione, the Muggle world has never had to trace lineage like the Wizarding world has. Our world has kept many of the ways that the Muggles gave up hundreds of years ago. Your basic house elf is living proof of that. What would the Muggle world think of having a house elf? Slavery is what they would think! And rightly so. We have kept to a form of caste system that gives the most power to the aristocracy and the rest can, pardon my language, sod off. It is not right anymore. The Giants and the Goblins and the House Elves are only a handful of those who have been downtrodden. There are times I wish we could just comingle the worlds and be done with it, but it will take years to bring the two into alignment. I want my generation to start the process, and your generation, young lady, to assist."

Hermione sat up straighter and nodded at Sev. "I take your point Severus. I will do what I can. I guess it will be up to those of us who have either lived in or were brought up in the Muggle world to start the process. I'll begin by making a list of those who fit into either category. Thank you."

"That includes you too, Harry. You can help us and Hermione by getting in touch with Arabella Figg. She can probably list everyone who is currently living among the Muggles. She may have been classified as a Squib, but I think her simply a late bloomer with as much or more Divination power as Sybil Trelawney. I think Albus thought so too. Otherwise he would never have placed her to watch over you during your childhood. Now, everybody eat up we have things to do after dinner."

They all laughed and did as they were told. After dinner they separated into two groups. Hermione and Nimuë to find a dress for the ceremony and Harry and Sev to work on Auror training.

Harry asked pertinent questions about the honeymoon though. "Have you really given no thought to where to go on honeymoon? That is not like you, Severus, I am willing to bet you already have reservations and a spot all picked out."

"You'd win. Santorini for a week in a hotel overlooking the caldera. The view is astonishing. That island was once known as Atlantis. When the volcano went up over 3500 years ago it took most of the island and all of the Minoan culture with it. Beautiful island though, even now. Wonderfully romantic. I would suggest it when you finally get around to marrying Ginevra Weasley. Now, I want you to start making me a list of the spells and curses you have already incorporated into the routines the Aurors practice. I will augment that with the curses you may not have seen before. Unfortunately some of them I invented. Those I have cures and counter curses for. Oh, by the way, if you see George Weasley ask him how his new ear is doing."

"No way! You did the counter curse and he is growing a new ear? That is brilliant! Yes, I'll make lists of the curses and hexes we are studying now and any that the other Aurors have seen or heard about. I was wondering, how exactly did you ask Nimuë to ….."

"Can't get a handle on how to bring the subject up with Ginevra? I waited until we were sitting in the garden one afternoon and discussing totally mundane things and I took her hand and asked her with my heart in my throat, then I ran into the house and grabbed a bottle of elf made wine which I thought we could share if she said yes or I could break and slit my wrists with if she said no. Thankfully she said yes. Rather exuberantly. She was screaming and crying and kissing me. I then took the family ring and put it on her hand. It has been charmed to fit the hand of each chosen bride. She and I then had a discussion of what to do about bringing me back into the world of the living with the result being that we went to your house and scared the living daylights out of you and the Weasleys and Hermione. End of story. Easy really when you have someone who loves you as much as you love them. Ginevra will say yes, Harry. She has loved you since before her first year at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, I used to do recces through students' minds when I knew they were not concentrating on their potions work. You would be astonished what things I learned."

"I can only imagine. So you think I should ask her pretty soon?"

"That is entirely up to you, if you think the two of you are ready then certainly ask her. But if you are still unsure about anything, then wait awhile. Shall we see if the ladies have found an acceptable dress yet?"

"You know, I am really sorry we got off to a bad start Severus. You are the last one left that knew my mum. I know you didn't get along with my dad or Sirius, but I would like to know more about my mum. And I would like to know more about you, too. I really appreciate these talks. I haven't ever had anyone I could talk to like I can talk to you. You are the only one who knows what it was like to deal with Riddle one on one. You understand. I mean, we both went through so much. I wanted to ask you about the Occlumency lessons… I think Dumbledore knew they wouldn't help. That the piece of Riddle's soul that was attached to me couldn't be blocked. I wanted to apologize about snooping in the pensieve. I guess I have a lot of my Dad's recklessness and disregard for the proprieties. I am trying to do better but for a long time I thought I was doing it all alone. I never truly believed you were on our side, until I saw the memories. Then I realised what a prat I had been, and how Dumbledore had played both of us. He knew those lessons would accomplish nothing, and that I would do something totally juvenile and you would get mad and throw me out. It was to keep us busy and at each others' throats. He could have given me the knowledge but he chose to have us each separately play out the scenario he had scripted. I know he used you without fully trusting you. He kept both of us in the dark about so much. I felt I had been led around by the nose and made to do tricks like a trained bear. I still get the feeling that we were simply pawns in his chess game. Don't you?"

"Harry, I was aware of what Albus was doing for the most part. I knew Riddle had created horcruxes, how could I not know? He bragged about going further than anyone before on the road to immortality. I had read all the dark texts also. I knew what he meant when he said that. I never told Albus that I knew, however. I think Albus meant me to fight Riddle with the Elder wand. He meant me to take over as the master of the wand that night but Draco had disarmed him before I got there. You put together what Ollivander told you with the fact that you had seen Draco disarm Albus and that you had disarmed Draco afterwards. You had more knowledge about that than I did but I had more of the total picture than you did. I wanted desperately to survive. I knew time was growing short and had used every iota of my knowledge and skill at my disposal to follow Albus' orders yet avoid dying. I wanted a life of my own, to be someone who was not tied to either Albus or Riddle, to find happiness, to find out if I could be someone other than the snarling excuse for a man I had been for eighteen years. Thanks to you, I got that chance."


	8. Realisation

A/N The world and the characters you recognise belong to JKR; I am merely extrapolating. AU to the max. Beta'd by the fab Feral Pirate. Review please 

"If it weren't for you, Severus, I would never have been able to do what I had to do. You forced me to rely on myself and my instincts. You were hard on me in class and I admit I was a prat at times, but you made me work harder and think harder. I wanted to show you, the old you, that I could live up to the prophecy. I really liked how well I did in Potions my sixth year. Thanks to your old potions book. I hid it in the room of forgotten things when you asked where my book was. Sorry, but I still did not trust you at the time. I guess I really did play fast and loose with a lot of the rules."

"Harry, we were more alike than anyone realized. We both came from childhoods where we were victimised, but it made us stronger. We both had drive, determination and few friends. The difference is that my friends were not what I thought them to be, they led me directly to the Dark Lord. Your choice of friends brought your innate sense of right and justice to the surface. You rose above your upbringing, I didn't. My sense of right and justice had been damaged by my father and his cruelty. I was ripe for the plucking, the power the Dark Lord offered was tantalising. I felt I could be in control of my destiny, not have to fear anymore. Your father and Black saw that I had a victim's reactions and decided that I was a prime candidate for their pranks. Your mother thought your father was an ass for our first few years at school. It was only after our OWLs year that they started seeing each other. The loss of her friendship drove me further into the Dark Lord's camp. That was the beginning of years of living my life on the edge of a knife blade. Once Riddle died, I shed my old life the way a butterfly sheds its chrysalis. I found my own version of right and justice in helping others, found purpose in learning about people. I learned the most about myself, Harry. I found that I wanted to reach out to those around me. I wanted something more than the shallow existence I had lived for so long. When I reached out, I found love and acceptance and friendship. I think you and I share a bond that no one else understands. I think that makes us family, almost. We both suffered at the hands of the two greatest wizards of our times. I want to offer myself as a sort of uncle to you. You can come to me with any problems, talk to me about things you are having trouble with, ask advice, but I draw the line at lending you money. You are on your own with that." Sev had realised he was getting too serious so he teased Harry a bit.

"I would like that, Severus. I haven't had anyone I could talk to like that. Sirius kept thinking I was my dad and that bothered me. Arthur Weasley treats me as if I am another one of his brood. You treat me as an adult, though. Thank you for that."

"Have you gotten the trunks of your parents' things from the Dursleys yet? Albus, Minerva and I gathered everything we could salvage from the house in Godric's Hollow and put it all into several trunks that Petunia was supposed to give you when you were old enough. I think there were portraits and photo albums and that sort of thing."

"No, I didn't know anything about any trunks. Are you saying they have had these things for all these years and didn't tell me?" Harry was upset.

"Yes. We put their wands, her jewellery, anything we thought you might like to have later, in those trunks. Minerva did not trust Dursley and I didn't trust Petunia. Dursley has probably tried to break into the trunks but I think Minerva had charmed them so that only you, Albus, she or I could open them. I have to admit that I went to Grimmauld Place after I fled Hogwarts that June. I found a letter from your mother and a picture. I took half of the picture and the last page of the letter. The two items are at Spinner's End. I need to go there and close the house. I never want to set foot in there again. Will you go with me, Harry? I don't even want Nimuë to see that awful place."

"But she loves you; don't you think it would be easier to go there with the one person who makes you feel loved? I know going back to Godric's Hollow again will be easier for me with the two of you, you are the closest I have to family now."

"And you are the son of my oldest friend, the only friend I had for many years. Hell yes, Harry. We are your family, Nimuë loves the four of your like you were her own younger siblings. I feel as if I helped raise you, even though I was a snarky bastard doing it. I am still the closest thing to a father figure for you. At least we understand each other like no one else does. Have the scars on your hand ever healed? I was told they put Umbridge away in Azkaban."

"You should have seen her trial! They used your last batch of Veritaserum on her and she admitted that she was the one who sent the Dementors, and that she was going to use the Cruciatus Curse on me, and that she used old dark magic to make the quills cut into my skin. Fudge tried to make the entire Wizengamot believe that the quills didn't hurt me that badly by demonstrating with one of them. The cuts on his hand were so deep they had to call in a healer from St. Mungo's. The Wizengamot broke her wand and destroyed those quills. Arthur Weasley had me show the scars on my hand to the Wizengamot. When they burned the quills, my scars went away."

"Do you have any idea when they are going to get around to trying Lucius?"

"Actually, they were waiting for an accomplished Legilimens to read him. Now that you are back they will probably get around to trying him fairly soon. You do realise that you are the last living Occlumens and Legilimens? You are going to have to see if Malfoy knows where any of the others are. When do you start at the Ministry?"

"I am supposed to start the first week in September. Kingsley wanted to give me time to get the handfasting over and our lives back into some semblance of normalcy. He wants me to start in with the hardest things I can throw at you. We need to get things settled with Andromeda and get those trunks of yours from that prat Dursley. Why do you ask?"

"I am trying to get Hermione, Ron and Ginny to come with me to Glastonbury a couple of weeks before the handfasting. Is there anything else, you seem kind of on edge tonight?"

"Yes, when we ran into Lucius today, I told him to contact you at the ministry. Draco has gone somewhere he thinks no one will find him. His father is an ass, Harry. Lucius was always too fond of his wealth and power to ever be a devoted follower of Riddle. He was always weak and shallow; he never could handle any of the tasks Riddle set for him. Draco could be straightened out if you find him. His two acolytes were his props. They bolstered his image of himself. Did they survive?"

"No, Crabbe died at Hogwarts and Goyle died running from the Aurors. Draco is on his own now. You know that there are some of Fudge's cronies still at the Ministry. They are so incompetent and so in love with their power and privilege that they refuse to admit they were working for Riddle. We are going to need to find a way to oust those folks. Uh oh, looks like Hermione is trying to get our attention. They probably have decided we were getting along too well."

"Actually, I think she may be getting ready to leave. It is getting late and you have to be back here early. You two go on back. We'll see you in the morning."

After Harry and Hermione left, Nimuë and Sev cleaned the dishes before going upstairs to the bedroom.

"The two of you were very involved in that conversation. Is there something wrong?"

"No, love, young Harry is trying to screw his nerve to the sticking point about asking Ginevra to marry him. He also seems to be at sea about some other things; he has built up resentment against Albus over the way things fell out. He needs an older male to thrash things out with and Arthur does not seem to meet Harry's requirements. He needs someone who understands him and what he went through. He has come to the conclusion that, with our shared history of Riddle and company, I am the right man for the position."

"He could not have picked a better man. I know it hurts you to see Lily's eyes in that face that is so like his father's, but he does need you."

"No, lass, not anymore, those eyes remind me that he is all that is left of my friend Lily. Harry is his own person, not an unknown copy of his father. James never had the strength of character that Harry has. Harry is more mature at 18 than James was, the boy is as skittish as a thestral colt but he does know his own mind. He needs a family that understands him, the Weasleys, for all their decency; love him without totally understanding him. They cannot fathom the power in him. He needs me, no, he needs us, Nimuë."

"As does Teddy, love. They are both orphaned children of people we loved. You may discover you need them as well. You were promised a family, Sev. These two and some of our own, I hope."

"Aye lass, at least two of our own, a boy and a girl, shall we name them Merlin and Niniane? Let's go to bed, Harry will probably be back here at dawn. And I need to hold you."

"Bed it is then, love."

Around 9AM Harry apparated into the garden area. Sev and Nimuë were drinking tea outside in the garden. Nimuë had brought out a third cup for Harry just in case he showed up. He joined them and commented on the warm feeling he got around them.

"It is Nimuë's brand of family love, encompassing all of us and enhancing our best qualities. She is going to make me forget how to make snarky comments. A shame, that, I enjoyed being snarky when some of you dunderheads melted or blew up your cauldrons in class."

Harry laughed at that and they all got ready to go to Godric's Hollow. Nimuë informed them that her parents' house was going to be rented out shortly to a friend of theirs, Viktor Krum. She was meeting him to show him the house. When they got to the village they walked to the quiet little street where the house sat. She unlocked the door of the cottage and ushered them inside. The roof had originally been thatched but had been updated to slates when her parents bought it. There was a large sitting room with bookshelves and a tiled fireplace on the ground floor. The dining room had lots of windows looking out to a small garden with a sundial and a fountain. The kitchen boasted an Aga stove with glass fronted cabinets above it. The countertops were tiled in shades of pale green. There were Rye tiles running around the top of the walls like a frieze. Most of the walls on the ground floor were oak panelling. The floors were hardwood and in excellent shape. There was a half bath off the sitting room and a small sun porch off the kitchen. The stairway was a typical Arts and Crafts style with large newel posts and a landing halfway up. A carved settle had been built into the railings on the landing. There were stained glass windows in the entryway and the hallway upstairs. There were two nice size bedrooms and two small bedrooms with two full baths on the first floor. The bedrooms were painted in neutral shades of ivory and a soft mocha brown. There was a stairway to the attic behind a small door in the hallway. The attic had been floored and created a large space for storage or a child's playroom. Nimuë showed them the house and then the garden before sending a significant look to Sev. The bathrooms were papered with William Morris Acanthus wallpaper. All the light fixtures in the cottage were copper. They were also all gas or candle fixtures. The whole cottage was a warm, welcoming sort of home. Harry and Sev thought it a very nice home for a single person or a small family.

"I need you two to go away for a little bit so I can discuss the house with Viktor. Can you think of something to do?"

Harry answered her immediately. "I would like to visit the graveyard and put flowers on my parents' graves. Maybe Severus would like to come with me?"

"I rather think that is exactly what Nimuë had in mind, Harry. Lead on, lad. And Nimuë, tell Krum you are spoken for. He tends to flirt with everybody else's ladies." Sev was teasing her again. He kissed her before walking to the churchyard with Harry. 

Viktor Krum arrived shortly thereafter and did indeed flirt with her. He told her that he was going to be working at the Ministry for a few months and needed a quiet place to live. He regaled her with stories of his Quidditch exploits and asked if she had a sister. She told him she might be able to find him some young friends and that her soon-to-be husband would be working at the Ministry also. She liked the young man; he was quite good looking with a strong jaw and heavy features, dark brown eyes and heavy beard stubble. Nimuë felt he would be a good addition to Harry's circle of friends. He liked the house very much and was willing to pay the rent she was asking. They agreed on a date for him to pick up the keys after which he thanked her and left. She wandered to the churchyard. She could see Harry and Sev planting a rose bush by Lily's gravestone. She could hear them talking.

"Is there some significance to this particular rosebush, Severus? Is that why you suggested this one?" Harry asked.

"The Souvenir de Malmaison was your mother's favourite rose. It is fitting that it should bloom over her final resting place. She was a lovely woman, Harry. Not shallow or affected. She saw the good in people; saw them not at face value but what they were in their hearts. She was my only friend for many, many years. I never could figure out why she married your father. He was not nearly as mature as she was. But then I wasn't exactly a paragon of maturity myself. They only dated the last half of their sixth year and all of their seventh year. They married a year after leaving Hogwarts. She sent me an invitation, but I did not go. You were born a year to the day after they married. She sent me an announcement of your birth which I tore into very small pieces. I was horribly jealous that James Potter, the tormentor of my school years, had married the girl I had been in love with since the age of seven. I was immersed in the Dark Lord's snare when they married. He had urged me to apply for a position at Hogwarts to spy on Dumbledore. That is why I was there that night when I heard the prophecy. I took what I had heard back to him and he told Lucius to find out which couples were expecting a child around that time. There were only two, your parents and the Longbottoms. He decided that your parents were probably the ones since they were closest to Dumbledore. He announced the decisions to kill you months before you were ever born. The night he announced it I went straight to Dumbledore and swore an unbreakable vow to be a double agent. He gave me a job and the rest you know."

The male bonding was working, Harry looked happy and Sev looked relaxed. She called out to them just as they finished with the rose bush.

"Why don't we go to the Burrow before seeing Andromeda? We can go to Spinner's End some other time." 

"Actually, I am going to go there with Harry possibly next weekend. He can then see for himself why I was such a miserable git when I taught him. We will go see the Weasleys and then on to Andromeda's"

"I hope she lets us have Teddy. He needs two parents. She is his Grandmother but we can provide so much more for him. He is all I have left of Remus. It is good we are taking Harry with us. Oh, Sev, I hope she is doing better."

"You worry about the entire planet, love. She will be reasonable. Who can resist you when you want something badly enough? I certainly can't. I remember handing you my heart along with my whole life because you gave me the chance to be myself at long last. This female is highly dangerous, Harry. Men fall in love with her at the slightest provocation. Watch out she doesn't teach your Ginevra her wiles. You'd be lost in a trice."

Harry laughed at them and with them. He was getting used to seeing Severus is a playful mood. He enjoyed being around him now. They disapparated to the Burrow soon after. Molly and Arthur both made a fuss thanking Sev for fixing George's ear. Molly went with them to see Andromeda. They found her reading to Teddy in the tiny garden of the cottage. She was looking very ill and tired. She had a house guest, too, her nephew, Draco Malfoy. Harry took Draco for a walk to discuss Lucius's concerns and Draco's options. Harry found that without Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Draco was a much different kettle of fish. He was afraid of everything and ashamed of his behaviour. He wanted a clean break from his parents and to do the unheard of for a Malfoy; try to make amends. Harry and Draco talked for over an hour. Harry told him of the danger that Rodolphus Lestrange posed, and of the miraculous return of Severus Snape with all the attendant developments.

"Snape as a Minister, are you having me on? And he is to be handfasted to a Gryffindor? Has the world run mad, Potter? Look, I am admitting I was an insufferable git in school. But you saved my life; I owe you a life debt for that. I took a serious look at my father once the battle was over and, honestly, I was appalled. I had been terrified that my mother and I were going to be killed because my father was such an idiot. It made me realise that money and position don't mean a thing if you are terrified all the time. I felt better than I had felt in a long time when I was helping clean up the mess at Hogwarts. I was doing something constructive and not expecting to be waited on. It made me want to actually do something with my life. I got tired of lazing around at home. When my mother heard that Aunt Andromeda was in poor health and raising Teddy by herself she was concerned. I did not tell her where I was going because she would just tell my father. I came here to see if I could be of some use to someone my family had neglected. I fixed the cottage up for her, did a lousy job of it, but I got it right finally and we joked about it. I like her, she's like Mother but much more honest; not like Aunt Bella was. She terrified me almost more than the Dark Lord. She was totally barking."

"You amaze me, Draco. I would never have thought you could be anything more than a pompous little twit. You need to come and meet Nimuë. She is Lupin's cousin. She is a very special person. And Severus loves her. He has changed immensely. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to find out if I am dreaming all this. He had been living in the Muggle world after the battle. He ran into your dad in Diagon Alley the other day. Lucius wanted Severus to help find you. Severus told him to get in touch with me. We never would have looked for you here. What do you want to do now? Stick around and take care of your Aunt or get on with your life? Severus and Nimuë are here to talk to Andromeda about taking Teddy to live with them. I am his godfather and Nimuë is his father's cousin, so it is still family. Talk to me, Draco."

"Do you think I could go back to Hogwarts and teach, eventually? I want to stay and take care of Aunt Andromeda for now. She lost everyone. I can start making amends by being here for her now. I think I might like to teach History of Magic when Binns finally decides to accept the fact that he's dead. It was my best subject. Should I write to McGonagall?"

"I'll get Severus to talk to her. Are you okay on money? You have money of your own without resorting to Lucius, don't you?"

"Yes, there is a trust fund at Gringott's. I've lately started calling it the Ferret Fund, because Mother has been ferreting all the available money into my trust so they don't have to show so much wealth to the Wizengamot. Aunt Andromeda and I started calling it that after I told her about the fake Moody turning me into a ferret; she got a good laugh out of that story. I've been using it to help pay for Andromeda's medical bills and to help out people who lost just about everything. I don't particularly care if my father gets livid about it. If he had been any kind of a man he would have gotten himself killed and freed Mother and me. As it is, he is going to try to weasel his way out of going to Azkaban somehow and he will try to keep Mother right by his side. And of course, Uncle Rodolphus has gone barking and will probably kill all of us, if he can find us; said that the Dark Lord would be back if he could kill all the traitors, said Bella would be back, too. I think he may go looking for Snape too. Let's go back and see what is going on. I owe Snape an apology for things I said to him that he did not deserve. I owe you one, too. I was too proud and too stupid to realise what the Dark Lord truly represented. We, all of us, purebloods and Muggles would have wound up as fodder for his torturing. You had the strength to fight him. Thank you for that. You saved all of us. I am sorry I was such an ass to you, Potter."

"Don't think about it, Draco. I had help, Dumbledore and Severus both helped me. Riddle never figured out that Severus was loyal only to Dumbledore. Ron and Hermione helped me, too. Come on, let's get back. I want to see Teddy."

"He's a cute little tyke. He inherited his mother's metamorphagus powers. He is still too little to realise that his parents are gone; I hope Snape and his lady take good care of him. Maybe I could keep in touch with him through them."

They walked back to find Nimuë and Andromeda talking in the cottage and Severus chasing Teddy around as the child flew on his tiny broom. Draco whistled and Teddy stopped in mid air. Severus grabbed him off the broom and kept hold of the boy. Severus greeted Draco cordially. 

"Harry, go on in the house and see what is going on. Molly left a few minutes ago and Draco may have to teach me how to manage this wee hellion. So, what has been eating at you, young Malfoy?"

"I need to apologise to you, about some of the things I said. I have learned the hard way what it is to be the victim rather than the bully. I did not like it at all, and now I am trying to make amends for being such an ass at times. I have been taking care of Aunt Andromeda and Teddy, too. She doesn't have much anymore, so I have been using Father's money to pay her bills. The parents were sticking their money into my trust fund and as far as I am concerned, I can use it to make life easier for those who were harmed the most by the Dark Lord."

"Take it easy, lad. I have no problem with what you are doing. I am actually kind of glad you are acting like a reasonable, responsible adult for once. I knew you had it in you but Lucius is such a pompous git that I was afraid he had ruined your character."

"Harry warned me that you had changed but I did not believe it. I want to thank you, sir, for trying to help me sixth year. I did not really mean what I said to you, it was mostly what my father thought. He was so jealous of your influence with the Dark Lord that he thought you would try to take credit for things others did. You truly had everyone fooled. We all thought you were the Dark Lord's most trusted acolyte. I am glad you survived. I was too much of a coward to really fight on any side during the last battle. I am sort of hoping I might go back to Hogwarts and teach History of Magic, if Binns ever crosses over. Teddy will mind if you whistle. I taught him that you have to stop your broom when you hear the whistle; it is in the Quidditch rules. He is really pretty easy to deal with. I have been trying to keep up with the repairs and Aunt Andromeda's health and keeping Teddy fed and clean. I finally feel useful."

"And you have found a voice of your own at last. You no longer sound like your father. Good for you. Nimuë is in there talking to Andromeda. I stayed out here to let them hash things out. I'll take Teddy back in when they are done. Are you breaking with your mother, too? She really is not as bad as Lucius. She has just let him think for her for far too long. You and she would have been better off if …."

"If Father had gotten himself killed. Chance would be a fine thing! I hate to think of the rest of my life spent as the son of a failed Death Eater. Why couldn't he do anything right? We would really have been better off; but maybe they will put him away in Azkaban for a very long time. I can only hope."

"Draco, you need to get that anger under control. It will eat you alive if you don't. Forgive Lucius, for your own sanity, Draco. He has always been weak. You don't have to be that way. You are better than that; you have strengths he never saw. You didn't let your fears overwhelm you. You did not let Riddle make you go against your true nature. You will survive this. Your mother will learn to live without your father, so will you. You can come and talk to me if you need to vent. I'll try to help you deal with this. Harry has vouched for you to the Ministry. Now get yourself under control, Draco. I do not want your Aunt Andromeda to see you like this."

Harry came outside and called to the two of them. They took Teddy inside and all sat down to talk. At the end of the afternoon it was decided that Andromeda would check herself into St. Mungo's; Draco would stay at the cottage to take care of things and Teddy would go to Sev and Nimuë at the end of the week. Harry had promised Draco that he would not tell Lucius his son's whereabouts, only that he was safe. By the time the three got back to Glastonbury they were exhausted. Sev prepared dinner for the three of them and they had a bottle of wine opened. Harry left directly after dinner and promised he would be back at the end of the week to assist the transfer of Teddy and getting Andromeda into St. Mungo's. He also said he would keep an eye on Draco.

The next day Nimuë and Sev talked about rearranging the house to accommodate the toddler. Nimuë took Sev's hand and led him back to the office. She unlocked the third door. It led down into a large below ground chamber with four rooms and a short hallway. The largest room would make an excellent potions lab with its own storeroom beside it. The other two rooms were off the hallway and were perfect for guest bedrooms.

"I will start moving the lab down here. The storeroom can hold finished potions and ingredients both. This will make things easier when the foursome arrives to stay. We can put the boys down here and the girls in the flat. I'll bring beds from Spinner's End for down here. We can put the single beds from the smallest bedroom upstairs into the flat, and move the full size bed from the flat into the middle bedroom. We will bring Teddy's furniture from Andromeda's house. This solves all of our housing problems for the moment. The lab can also accommodate the bookshelves. I might as well bring the books from Spinner's End. There are a few things besides the books that I want to bring from my old home, Nimuë. Things I may need to teach the Aurors. I will take all the Dark Magic Texts and the ruined horcruxes Harry brought to the Ministry. If necessary, I will use the Aurors to search the residences of all the Death Eaters for any Dark Magic items that may have escaped notice. I know the spells to find them. Kingsley will approve the modified Unbreakable Vow for the Aurors-in-training and the full Unbreakable Vow for those who are done with training. I intend that no one I teach should use these Dark Magic abominations against innocents. The modified Vow will allow them to use the Dark Magic in practice or against inanimate figures. The complete vow will assure that no one I have taught these things to will use them against innocents or teach them to anyone else. Harry will be the only Auror exempt from the vow, because I am certain he would never cross that line. I mean to make sure that Dark Magic is suppressed for ever. Even Durmstrang will no longer teach the Dark Arts."

"Sev, do you really think you can find all of the Dark items, the books, the weapons and what?"

"There may be other horcruxes, not Riddle's, but some of the others may have copied him and created their own. I think Rodolphus may have done so. We need to find him. I need to talk to Harry. They need to start searching right away. Come on, we need to see Kingsley." He had just had an epiphany about something.


	9. Relevance

Chapter nine

Nimuë did not even have time to change out of her jeans; the two of them ran for the fireplace and threw floo powder into it. Sev enunciated Ministry of Magic as he and Nimuë stepped into the green flames. They arrived seconds later. Sev did not let go of Nimuë's hand before yelling at the receptionist at the front desk." I need Potter up in Shacklebolt's office NOW!"

They took the lift to Kingsley's floor and Percy met them as they got out of the lift. Sev told him that Harry should be getting there in a few minutes and that possibly Arthur should be in on the meeting also. Percy nodded and asked one question. "Do I need to get the rest of the Aurors up here?"

Sev nodded and said "I want you in on this, Percy. I am going to have to use every resource available, put together a list of those who are left from Fudge's administration. I need those names in a hurry, from the highest to the lowest, Percy. There is a madman looking for revenge out there and he is being helped by unknown persons. Get me those names."

"Yes, sir, there are only a handful, I think. I'll have it for you in a few minutes." He rushed out of the reception area. Sev and Nimuë walked to the door of Kingsley's office and knocked. Kingsley answered immediately. He saw the look on Sev's face and realised that there was some urgency to this visit. He ushered them inside and asked what had happened.

"I need your permission to have the Aurors search the homes of the Death Eaters. That includes Malfoy. Rodolphus Lestrange is vowing revenge on those who defeated Riddle and I think there is a chance that someone here at the Ministry is helping him."

"We know he is out there. We thought we had killed him a few months back but he went to ground and came back stronger than ever. Who would be helping him, Severus?"

"Someone who is disgruntled and feels that he is more capable a politician than you are. I suspect Fudge is helping him and has been put under the Imperius Curse. I also think Rodolphus has created his own horcruxes and it will be difficult to find and destroy them. We need to begin the search immediately and I want Fudge watched at all times. Here's Harry and Arthur, I need your help, Percy is looking up names of the leftovers from Fudge's administration. One of them, if not Fudge himself, is helping Rodolphus. I want the Lestrange home searched and the Malfoy home. Harry knows whose homes need to be looked at. Rodolphus will not have tried to use anything connected with the founders of Hogwarts, he will have used something he or his family considers important to their history. His wife's death and the fall of Riddle probably sent him over the edge into madness which is probably increasing with time. I want to go with Harry and the Aurors to search. I know the spells to detect Dark magic or items. I will teach them to the Aurors while we search. Sorry about this Kingsley, I just realised that he will be bound to try something at the handfasting or when we bring Teddy home. I do not want my family or anyone's family in danger from him."

"I can understand that, you heard the man, get ready to start looking for Lestrange. Arthur, I am putting Percy to watch Fudge. Nothing dangerous but we want him monitored at all times. Harry, you go with Severus now to start the process."

Once outside the office, Sev, Nimuë and Harry went to the office which was to be Sev's once he came to work.

"The spells are easy to reveal the presence of Dark Magic but trickier to reveal Dark items. You remember how the locket made you feel, like mice feet skittering across your nerve endings? When you feel that sensation again, you have found a Dark item. Touching it will increase the skittering sensation. Encase it in a protective spell and bring it to Spinner's End. I have a well shielded room in the basement where we can destroy those items. If you run into Rodolphus, do not fight him alone. Send to me or the rest of the Aurors. You are still technically in training but you are the best we have. Do not take him on alone, we….. I, do not want to lose you. Do you understand me, Harry?

"Yes, Severus. That description, the mouse feet skittering across nerve endings; how did you know about that? I never told anyone except Hermione about that feeling."

"I felt it once when I was a child. I found a cursed chalice in the attics at Spinner's End. My mother caught me before I was harmed by it. I was about five. I never found a better description for that feeling. Where shall we start the search, Nimuë? Lestrange Hall is on the edge of Dartmoor, Malfoy Manor is closer. Perhaps we should start where I have knowledge of the layout of the house and grounds. Malfoy Manor is where we start. How many Aurors do we have left, Harry?"

"Well, most of us are still trainees. Oliver Wood, Dean Thomas, Terry Boot, Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, Gawain Robards is still the head of the department and the only two experienced are Savage and Proudfoot. Dawlish is still technically an Auror but he has never been quite the same after Dumbledore confounded him those two times. But, we have some people who were trained as Aurors in the past that went into other fields. Kingsley's son Justin, Arthur Weasley, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley and a few others."

"There is not much time. I have a feeling we need to find Rodolphus soon. Is Charlie here? Good, get Charlie, Proudfoot, Dean and Oliver. We are going to Malfoy Manor within the hour."

Percy arrived with a list of names as Harry rushed out the door.

"There are only four names, Severus. And they are all either Maintenance or clerical personnel. The others, the ones in higher office have all left the Ministry. The only one who could be helping Lestrange is Fudge himself. But I brought the list so you could judge for yourself. If I might make a suggestion, putting Dawlish to supposedly guard Fudge would effectively keep him under surveillance without the subterfuge."

"Brilliant, Percy. You have the authority to assign Dawlish to 'protect' Fudge against Lestrange. Sit down, Percy; tell me what happened to the Death Eaters that were captured at Hogwarts. I know Bellatrix was killed. What about Dolohov and Fenrir and the others?"

"You know the Wizengamot sent the Dementors back to their own realms? The last thing they were told to do was to administer the kiss to Fenrir and the Death Eaters that were captured at Hogwarts. Most of the ones that were 'kissed' died within days. Azkaban is sitting almost empty now. The few prisoners there are being guarded by Grawp. He has a snug hut on the grounds and seems to be doing a very good job. Hagrid is very proud of him. The ministry changed the wards on the cells so that, while still being in the middle of the North Sea, it is no longer filthy or depressing. Shacklebolt is the best Minister we have ever had. That is what Dad says, at least."

"Thank you, Percy. Would you see that Nimuë has an escort home? Someone who will make sure the house is secure."

"Angelina Johnson is in the building. She would attract no attention. I'll get her to meet Miss Hawke in the Atrium."

"Thanks, Percy. Now Nimuë, I will be back later. Do you think you can sing that protective spell again for me? We are going to see if we can find any trace of him. I can just imagine what Lucius will say when we show up to search his house. Sing it for all of us, love, yourself included." He kissed her before letting her go back to the Atrium.

She found Angelina Johnson waiting for her. They exchanged pleasantries before using the floo network to the house in Glastonbury. Angelina checked the house thoroughly before telling Nimuë it was clear. Then the younger woman checked the yard and the flat at the end of the garden. She reported all was undisturbed before sitting down and starting a conversation with Nimuë.

"I'll just stick around until Professor Snape returns. Percy was very clear that you should not be left unprotected. Do you like it here? I visited Glastonbury as a child but found it dull. You can feel the old magic here, though. Is that what brought you here?"

"That and I knew it was where Sev would come eventually. His magic and mine are tied to the historical magic somehow. He says I sing Druid traces into my spells. And he said I should sing the protective spells I sang for him again until they capture Rodolphus Lestrange. Let me get the parchment I wrote the words on, I want you to sing it with me. They may need it when they search."

"You were there, at Hogwarts, after the battle. You went with Harry to find Snape's body. I remember now, you are Professor Lupin's cousin. I liked Lupin, liked his wife, too. I am sorry they died. Percy said you and Snape are to be handfasted and that the two of you will raise the Lupin boy. Is that right?"

"Yes, Angelina, I knew Sev had not died then. I knew he would find me and find himself. He has changed greatly since his days as a teacher. As you have noticed we do not wear robes here. We dress in Muggle clothes, I run a Muggle business, and we live mostly in the Muggle world. The two worlds are starting to overlap. There are fewer and fewer reasons to keep the worlds separate. Let me tune the guitar then we will sing my spell."

The two women sang softly the long spell and then Nimuë made tea. Nimuë suddenly felt a rush of triumph from Sev. She went to the kitchen to begin making dinner.

"They have found something! Sev is excited. He and Harry are going back to the Ministry. They found nothing at Malfoy Manor but they found several Dark things at Lestrange Hall."

"If it is a horcrux, we have the basilisk fangs to destroy it. Harry, Ron and Hermione brought them all to the Ministry for use by the Aurors." Angelina said.

"No, no, it is something else. Sev is very excited. Oh no! They also found what was left of Alastor Moody. It is all right, Angelina, Sev is coming home. He should be coming through the floo network about now."

As Nimuë spoke, the green flames flashed in the fireplace and Sev stepped out.

He thanked Angelina for staying with Nimuë and told her that he would be back at the Ministry the next day to talk to the entire group of Aurors.

When she had gone through the floo network, he came to Nimuë and quietly said that they had found several Dark books and a sort of shrine that Rodolphus had set up for the Dark Lord and Bellatrix. And they had set a watcher on the house. The other Aurors were bringing Moody's body back with them.

"He had strands of Bellatrix's hair, and the pieces of the Dark Lord's old wand, the one that was a mate to Harry's, and pieces of the old skin the snake had shed. They were arranged on a table with candles and a chalice and a spell from a very old Dark text. It was supposed to bring the dead back to life. Dean Thomas said it gave him the cold grue. It simply nauseated me. We brought all the items back to Spinner's End. Gawain Robards, Arthur Weasley, Harry and I are going to destroy them tomorrow as we teach the Aurors how to disarm, defuse, and destroy any Dark item. I am getting Ron Weasley to bring the beds from Spinner's End and move the rest of the furniture around. He will be keeping an eye on things here for me for a couple of days. I think I can get Kingsley to assign Angelina to help you in the shop. You got on well with her, didn't you?"

"She seems like a nice young witch. Why? Are you planning on being gone for days? Or is this merely a burst of over protectiveness on your part?"

"I am merely trying to cover any eventuality. We now have an idea of where Rodolphus has been and what he has been doing. He had a copy of The Daily Prophet with the article about my reappearance and the festival. It listed our address and your name, Nimuë. You are in as much danger as I am. I do not want to risk anything happening to you. I lost a woman I cared for through my own stupidity and I will not lose you. You are my life, Nimuë. If something happened to you…."

"Sev, you won't lose me. You are leaving good people around me. I can take every precaution. I'll simply sing different protections into my spells. You go do what you need to do. But not tonight. Tonight is mine. Come help me with dinner. I am going to send an owl to Draco to start packing Teddy's things. Do you want pudding or Blackcurrant tarts for dessert?"

"The tarts, you know how I love Blackcurrants. Tell me we are having salmon again. Charlie Weasley is in the country. Arthur said he's found a Russian witch that he is crazy about. Her name is Marinka Valentinov. Durmstrang graduate about 10 years ago. She is also into COMC. That is how they met. She brought a young Russian Gold dragon to the preserve where Charlie was working. The Golds were thought to be extinct but Charlie and his lady are going to go off hunting for the parents of the dragon pup. I told Arthur to have Charlie bring Miss Valentinov to the handfasting, if that is all right with you. And I think George is getting ready to ask Angelina to marry him. A former student of mine has been assigned as my assistant, Katie Bell. She is a year older than Harry and company; she might make a dinner partner for Krum or possibly Luna Lovegood if you decide to invite him to the handfasting. Katie played on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"Does this update on Hogwarts students have a purpose, Sev? We still have weeks before the handfasting. You are up to something, I just know it."

"No, my love, I am just trying to keep you updated on your old friends. Percy seemed to think that Charlie harboured a secret crush on you. George obviously thought so, too. Have you found a dress you like yet for the handfasting?"

"No, nothing seems to reach out and grab me. Everything is too fussy. I want simple. Something I can wear again, not have to put it up in the attic after spending a fortune on it. Why?"

"An old friend of Lily's, Mary MacDonald, has a dress shop in Upper Flagley. Maybe she could produce something to your liking. Take Hermione and Angelina with you, Ginevra, too, if you wish. She should remember you. She was a year behind Lily and me. She was Gryffindor also. She could probably use the custom. She was a nice young woman all those years ago. One of my so-called friends tried some of his Death Eater ways on her and both she and Lily took exception to it. The ensuing row effectively put paid to any chance I ever had with Lily. Maybe I should be thankful. I could have been Harry's father and died with Lily. Of course then I wouldn't have found you. And you, Nimuë, are my world. Yes, I am up to something. I want you off doing something frivolous and safe while we destroy those nasty things from Rodolphus's sick shrine. And I wanted you to see if there is anything we can do to help Mary. I do not know if she needs any help but one of the Muggle things I learned a lot about was a 12 step program. One of the steps is making peace with those you have wronged. I didn't wrong Mary but those around me tried to harm her, so I want to make sure she is safe, secure and has forgiven me for being friends with those people. I'm blethering aren't I? Pay it no mind, lass. I have been rattled by the sight of that shrine. "

"If it means so much to you, I'll call Hermione and go tomorrow. I will take Ginny and Angelina, too. Just to keep you happy. Now sit down, the salmon is ready. You just need to get the salad out onto the table."

They finished dinner and the cleanup before Nimuë called Hermione, who in turn owled Ginny to see if she wanted to go along. The three females decided on half past ten as a reasonable time to meet in Upper Flagley. Sev breathed a lot easier when the plans had been made. He, in turn, owled Percy Weasley about how Dawlish was doing 'protecting' Fudge. He also suggested that Angelina Johnson meet 'his' three witches in Upper Flagley the next day.

In the morning, Severus met with Gavin Robards, Harry, and Arthur Weasley at the Ministry offices before apparating to Spinner's End with the other Aurors . Sev led them all downstairs into the heavily fortified basement room where he could use various analysis spells on the items to find out which Dark spells or magic had been used to enchant the items. He was vehement in his instructions to the Aurors that they use every analysis spell he was teaching them on each and every item.

"If you do not COMPLETELY evaluate each item, you run the risk of killing or injuring not only yourself but your fellow Aurors and anyone else who happens to be in the vicinity. These hairs have been subjected to several different spells. He tried to call her forth from the grave first, when that failed he tried to re-grow her from the hairs. He also spelled them to withstand ordinary destruction methods such as burning, or vanishing. The Snake's skin has been similarly spelled. The wand of He-who-died at-the-hand-of the boy-who-lived is not spelled. Aha! Made you all laugh, did I? Well, then I will request the help of the boy-who-lived. Harry, bring the cauldron here."

Harry brought the large cauldron which seemed to have mud in it to the table. He and Sev raised their wands and levitated the hairs, the snake skin and the broken wand over the cauldron. Gawain Robards and Arthur Weasley joined them before the cauldron. Together the four men uttered the words to a strange spell.

"With Earth from the temple and water from the well, with leaves from the isle we banish these things into the realm of nothingness." The mud rose up out of the cauldron and coated the three items.

The three items began to glow until they vaporised. The Aurors all gasped. Charlie Weasley asked if the cauldron contained what he thought it did.

Sev answered him promptly. "Yes, Charlie. Earth from Stonehenge, taken from beneath the Altar stone, water from Chalice Well, and leaves from the Druid's Isle, Anglesey, the last Druid Sacred Grove. As well as some other bits and pieces which I will not divulge as yet. Needless to say it seems to have done the trick. This will have weakened Rodolphus. When he returns to his home he will be enraged. He will begin striking out at those in the closest proximity to his home. All of you need to be alert to any possibility of ambush or attack. Harry and I are working on finding Rodolphus as soon as possible but it may a long time. All of you must be working extra hard on spell blocking and Dark Magic detection. I hate to sound like Alastor Moody, but he was ultimately right; constant vigilance is the best policy. I want all of you to come with me back to Glastonbury. It is, I believe, where Rodolphus will finally face his end. It is also the most important magical site in Britain now. There are forces churning with the coming millennium that may change the future of magic. We all need to be aware of the forces that lie just beneath the surface at Glastonbury. Very, very old magic still permeates the Tor and the Well. You will feel it, too. But for now I want to equip each of you with certain potions and a spell syllabus. I want you all to walk the labyrinth on the Tor. You too, Arthur and Gawain."

In Upper Flagley, Nimuë had met up with Ginny, Hermione, Angelina and Luna Lovegood. They found the street where Mary MacDonald's shop was located easily. In the window was a dress that made them all gasp. It was medieval in design, with a low v-neck, fitted bodice flaring into a full skirt with the sleeves which start out tight and flare into the pointed bell at the forearm. It was of an ice green silk and was exactly what Nimuë had been looking for. They entered the shop to find a small woman arranging bolts of cloth. When Nimuë introduced herself and her purpose in being there Mary MacDonald smiled and said," You can tell Severus that I am doing just fine. I appreciate that he thought to check on my circumstances but I have been doing quite well. Were you interested in a dress, Miss Hawke? Hawke….I remember you now. You were Lupin's cousin, the little girl that sang her spells. And you are now to be handfasted to Severus? Oh, that is wonderful. I worried that he was still tied to Lily's memory. The dress in the window is perfect with your colouring. Let me get it out and you can try it on."

Nimuë found that the dress did indeed fit and looked perfect as well. She bought it on the spot. Then she told Hermione and Ginny to look around. They each found dresses that suited them. Hermione found a peacock blue waltz length dress that fit to perfection. Ginny found one in Teal that fit her more petite frame perfectly. Nimuë paid for the three dresses before they disapparated back to Glastonbury. The five women were sitting in the garden when Nimuë suddenly said, "Sev is bringing the Aurors here. He wants them to walk the Labyrinth. They will be here in a very short time. Do any of you want to walk the Labyrinth, too? I think I shall walk it with them. Ginny, can I prevail on you to reopen the shop? Hermione would you stay and help her? Angelina, Luna and I are going to go with the Aurors."

Just then, the first group arrived in the lower garden. Sev came and kissed Nimuë before saying hello to the others. He ushered the Aurors into the small street behind the house. Harry and the second group arrived and followed directly. Angelina, Luna and Nimuë went with Sev towards the Tor. They stopped at Chalice Well to feel the coursing of the old magic. Once on the Tor they began the first circuit which led up and down and then back. Sev told them all, "Let your feet feel the thrumming of the magic. It will guide you. It will also purify you. It is a cleansing magic. This place was thought to be the gateway to the Underworld at one point. The Hall of Gwyn Ap Nudd was supposed to be accessible if you walked the Labyrinth. But, as in Chartres, this Labyrinth is a focus device. The point is not to find the underworld but to find the core of magic and strength in you. Free your minds of everything except the feel of magic beneath your feet. Now, begin to walk the path."

He, Nimuë and Luna started up between the two groups. As they progressed from circuit to circuit Nimuë sang her protective spells softly. Sev kept firm hold of her hand so she would not slip. When they reached the top of the Tor they found the first group looking out over the city below them. Within moments Harry and the second group arrived and something wonderful began to happen. A golden haze began to envelop the top of the Tor. The figure of a woman with long strawberry blond hair formed within the haze. She stepped forward and spoke to Sev and Nimuë.


	10. Revelation

A/N Thanks to my superb Beta, Feral Pirate for all her hard work. She keeps me on track away and from deranged plot bunnies.

"Blessed be, my sisters. And to thee also, My Lord. Thee hast brought these younglings to be purified. They are all of good heart and worthy. The blessings of Avalon and the Lady of the Lake on them all. The Dark is growing again but differently. It will come down to a fight here, in this place. Thee, my Lord, and the one who seeks the return of the Dark Ways will fight to the death. Only one will walk the path down from the Tor. Lammas will again be the time for decision. The boy was born at Lammas. Thee and he suffered loss at Samhain. Thee, my Lord, nearly died at Beltaine, yet did not die for the sake of she who sings her magic. Imbolc will bring new life and a renewal of Magic in this land. Blessed be all. I return to thee, my Lord, the four treasures; the Cauldron, the Spear, the Sword, and the Stone. Place them at the four corners of the top of the Tor ere the fight begins. There should be a male and female at each of the corners, guarding the relics. The magic of the Tuatha De' Danaan will be called forth. Magic shall come full circle."

She clapped her hands and four objects appeared in the air. A rosy gold cauldron covered in gems, a spear of Oak with a golden tip, a sword of a white metal so bright it appeared to be made of light, and a flat stone inscribed with ogham, runes and whorls that seemed to move in the stone. Luna stepped forward and bowed to the Vision as the Aurors held onto the treasures.

"My lady, why do you call him My Lord? Who was he in your time?"

The vision smiled at the girl and answered, "He, in essence, still is Merlin. She was my sister, Niniane. This Dark Mage has not only called forth Dark Magic from our realm but has delved into the evils of the mortals thee call Muggles. He has called on their beliefs of supreme evil to strengthen himself. I know not if our magic can defeat such. Unless we all, Mortals, Fae, Centaurs, Goblins, and Wizardkind, all of us, work together to banish the evil he has called up. Only my Lord Merlin knows if that is possible. Blessed be. If thee hast need of me, my sister Niniane, she whom thee call Nimuë, knows how to call me forth. I am Vivienne, Lady of the Lake, her twin."

As suddenly as she had appeared, she vanished. The Aurors and the others looked at Sev, astonished. He was as astounded as the others. Gawain Robards and Arthur Weasley shepherded the Aurors down the Tor and into the back garden of the house. Then Arthur spoke to Sev and everyone except Luna and Nimuë disapparated back to the Ministry.

When Nimuë and Luna went back into the shop Ginny and Hermione were rearranging some shelves. Hermione saw the confused look on Nimuë's face before asking what had happened.

Luna answered very bluntly, "When we reached the top there was a golden haze. A woman appeared in it and said Nimuë was Niniane, and Severus is Merlin. And that if we need her, Nimuë can summon her back. Oh, yes, she returned the four treasures to Severus; the Cauldron, the Sword, the Spear and the Stone. Severus will have to fight Rodolphus at the top of the Tor and the Tuatha De' Danaan will help. But Rodolphus has gone to the Muggle embodiment of evil and asked for help. Vivienne said that all the Magical beings will have to work together to fight this. She said it would happen at Lammas. She also said something about the other festivals; that Harry and Severus lost something at Samhain, and that Severus almost died at Beltaine, and that Imbolc would bring new life and a renewal of Magic."

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and at Nimuë. "She said Severus is _Merlin_?"

Nimuë answered them, "She said that he, in essence, still is Merlin. But she definitely said he IS Merlin."

Ginny got a funny look on her face before kneeling in front of Nimuë. "She said new life at Imbolc? Nimuë, is there any chance you are pregnant?"

The other three women gasped at the question. Nimuë answered slowly. "It is possible. But my cycle is not due for another ten days. Imbolc is seven months away. That is not full term for a child."

"But, if there is more than one child in the womb, the timing runs shorter sometimes." Luna said.

The four women looked at each other as Hermione raised her wand to cast a diagnostic spell on Nimuë. The soft silver light enveloped Nimuë and glowed brightly at her womb. Then two small golden flames appeared in front of her.

"I guess that settles that." Hermione said as she cast the Finite Incantatem.

"Oh, dear, Sev will not be prepared for this. We haven't even gotten Teddy into the house yet and now we are going to have two of our own. He will never let me out of the house until Rodolphus is captured if we tell him. Please, all of you, do not tell him, promise me, please."

The other three nodded in agreement. They left one by one until Nimuë was alone in the kitchen. She began preparing dinner when she sensed Sev returning. He entered the house from the garden and came to stand behind her.

"This has been an eventful day, to say the least. The treasures have been stored at the Ministry. Kingsley has locked them into the vault that he and Moody created. No one else can get into it. He is going to give Harry the secret of the vault just before Lammas. Did you find a dress?"

"Mary MacDonald sends you her best and said that she appreciates your concern for her but she is doing very well. I found a dress that is perfect. We also found dresses for Ginny and Hermione. Aren't you the least bit surprised about Vivienne and her tale?"

"No, it fits too well with a parchment that Albus gave me years ago. He said I would understand when the time came. Let me find it. You may have insight into it that has escaped me."

He was back in a few minutes with a scroll of parchment that looked very old. He unrolled it before handing it to her to read.

The writing was cramped and spidery, typical of the late Medieval, but the words were pure prophecy.

Child of the Goddess, born in cold Celtic fire.

Son of no man, pawn of Vortigern's desire.

Prophecy and vision bought free thy life,

Britain awaited, sundered with strife.

Pict and Saxon against Cymry and Cornish,

Rome and her legions are gone, as was the wish,

Ne'er knowing the future is mortal man's curse.

The boy wizard-in-training tells it in verse.

The forces of evil and good, darkness and light

Hidden 'neath the surface, seen only by Sight.

The myth-king Arthur, by thy hand was he made;

The foundation of legend, Stonehenge was laid.

The one thing thee feared, fate unavoidable

The maid Niniane, her power incalculable,

The bond forged in Earth's fiery core,

Love and passion bound together, forevermore.

Over and again down through the centuries,

Born with the secrets of all the mysteries,

To search for the one whose soul is bound to yours,

Keep the promises made between thy heart and hers.

Fifteen centuries will have passed 'tween death and rebirth.

Another third of a century proving thy worth,

Ere thee find the soul thee have sought for so long.

The legends and myths that damned her were wrong.

The tales have been told for centuries past.

Of a man and a maid and a love that would last.

Beyond betrayal and defeat, yea, e'en past death.

For those who would breathe that mystical breath.

Entwined for eternity like the sea and the shore.

Apart and together, as it is after, so 'tis before.

She raised her eyes to his face, seeing the truth written there. He knew all of it.

"She did something… wakened memory. You now have his magic at your fingertips, Merlin's, I mean."

"I do not know how it happened but as we stood there watching her, I had this incredible surge of knowledge, of power. I tried to explain this to Kingsley with Gawain and Arthur there but it simply defies belief. I have more than a thousand years of memories to sort through. This sounds so insane. I cannot be Merlin; yet I have memories that concern events I should have no knowledge of whatsoever. I know, for example, who killed William Rufus. I know where Richard III was buried. I know exactly where Bosworth Field is. I know also that Henry VII made a pact with the Muggles' devil. He was another Rodolphus, using magic and its practitioners for his own ends and then killing them to cover his tracks. I know that the Stuart line should have continued through Charles II but his brother kept feeding Catherine of Braganza potions to keep her from conceiving so he could take the throne himself. I am aware that Harry combines the best parts of King Arthur and Winston Churchill, yet is entirely himself. His birth was foretold centuries ago. He is the one who embodies the legend of Arthur returning when England is in need of him. He did just that, my love. I have the memories from each life I lived, each time I was reborn to search for you. Some are horrible, some are pathetic, most of them are answers to some of England's historical mysteries. Richard III did not have the Princes in the Tower killed. Henry VII did it himself after he wed their sister Elizabeth and was sure she carried his child. Oh, love there is so much. I cannot take it all in yet. I know somehow this will help us find and defeat Rodolphus but how I do not as yet see. Help me, love. We have only three weeks and a few days before Lammas. We must be ready. We must pull together information from the Muggle Religions, portents from the Centaurs, coax aid from the Goblins and the secrets of the Fae from beyond the Islands of the West. It is daunting but it must be done. It seems that all of the markers of the old year have played a part in this. Lammas, when Harry and Neville were born, Samhain when James and Lily died and the Dark Lord was nearly destroyed, Beltaine when the Battle at Hogwarts was fought and won. But she said something about Imbolc, new life and Magic coming full circle."

"It matters not, Sev. What matters is that we be prepared to defeat Rodolphus. Have you any idea what he may have used as a horcrux or horcruxes?"

"Logic tells me his vanity is such that he probably used the portraits in Lestrange Hall. We did not examine them at the time, but Harry and I will go back in a couple of days with Basilisk fangs. I can see so much that is woven into history. There must be a way to gather the various beings Vivienne said we would need to defeat Rodolphus and his attendant demons. Kingsley has offered to contact the Muggle PM, Arthur is having Bill set up a meeting with the Goblins, Hermione and Harry may have to research the Muggles ultimate evil, The Centaurs I can talk to at Hogwarts, you will have to handle talking to the Fae. I think we are going to need to involve Molly and Arthur, Ginny and Harry, Ron and Hermione and lastly Neville and Luna to guard the treasures at the Tor when I fight Rodolphus. Remind me that Molly should be at the corner with Neville and Luna should be with Arthur. That way we have a Weasley at each corner, for some reason that will be important. I absolutely do not want you up there. It will be much too dangerous. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"If Vivienne and the Fae are to be there along with the Tuatha De' Danaan, then I must be there also. She said it herself; I was Niniane to your Merlin. She and I were the Ladies of the Lake. The sisters of Avalon. I sing my magic into the fabric of time somehow, that is how I can call her, call the Tuatha De' Danaan, also. I must be there. I know it as surely as I know you will triumph."

Just then her cell phone rang insistently. Hermione asked them to come to the Burrow as soon as possible, that something had happened.

Sev immediately reset the wards on the house, garden and the flat. Nimuë stored the salad she had been preparing away for later. They threw green powder into the fireplace and were whisked away to the Burrow instantly.

When they arrived they found Molly treating an injured Draco and Ginny trying to calm a screaming Teddy. Kingsley Shacklebolt grabbed Sev's arm and pulled him aside.

"It has begun. He attacked Andromeda's home and killed her. Draco took the boy and disapparated here. Rodolphus hit him with one of your Sectumsempra curses as he vanished. Molly has him patched up for now but you will need to heal him. The boy is unharmed. But Draco is fearful that Lestrange will be heading for Malfoy Manor next. I sent Harry and the older Aurors but maybe you and I should go also."

"Agreed, Nimuë stay here and see if you can heal Draco. It is the same spell we used on George. I will be back directly." He kissed her before disapparating with Kingsley.

Sev was able to apparate directly into the grounds of the Manor. They saw the great doors gaping open and raised voices from inside. Harry appeared in the doorway when he heard them apparate in.

"Hurry, Lucius is dead. Rodolphus got here before we did and he has taken Narcissa with him. Lucius tried to stop him and Rodolphus killed him as if he was no more than an insect in his way. I have two Aurors hurt. I hit him with a tracing spell so we can track him, I hope."

Kingsley answered him. "Get your people to St. Mungo's. Then go back to the Burrow and tell Draco about his father. Tell him we have followed Rodolphus. Tell Severus which tracking spell you used while I talk to the others." He walked into the house, leaving Harry with Sev.

"It is one I invented, Severus. FletcherFinder sends up a beam of light when the person stops apparating. It is invisible to the person it is cast on but the person who cast it can see the beam. I want to come with you."

"Ingenious, Harry. Is that how you are keeping track of Mundungus these days? I'll tell Kingsley we need you to pinpoint the beam. Get Dean to take the injured in. You, I and Kingsley will follow him. He may have taken her somewhere and left her. Did you cast the spell on both of them?"

"Yes, sir, it was so fast that I didn't have time to narrow the field of the spell so I just blasted it toward them."

"Excellent, Harry, you are going to teach the others that spell and me, too. Here comes Kingsley. Tell Dean and come back out here."

"Right, I'll be coming with you two, Minister. I'm the one who cast the spell so I'm the one who can see the beam. Let me tell Dean to take the injured to St. Mungo's. Be right back."

"You have done wonders for that boy. His confidence is way up and he has matured beyond belief. Good job, Severus. I sent for the Wizengamot to convene when we return. I want this incident on the record and we need their approval for some of the more drastic measures I want to take. And they need to be apprised of that little encounter you all had earlier. They may want to call your lady in to talk to her. Oh, by the way, Fudge has disappeared."

"Bloody fucking hell! That is probably where Rodolphus took Cissy. Hurry up, Harry! Do we need brooms? Would that make it easier to find the beam?"

"Yes, I've got mine. I brought out Lucius's and Dean said you can use his, Minister."

"Thanks. I'll get it back to him at St. Mungo's. Let's get after him."

They mounted the brooms and rose quickly into the air. The first beam of light was less than a mile away, rising from a stand of trees. They set down and ascertained that no one was still there. When they rose into the air again Harry pointed off to the North.

" There it is! Looks like he is heading for the Oxford area."

They followed beams of light until suddenly there were two beams instead of one. They touched down at the next to last beam and found themselves in front of a Victorian monstrosity of a house on the outskirts of Banbury.

Kingsley spoke quietly. "Looks like you were correct, Severus. This is Fudge's home. He never puts wards up. We should be able to enter easily."

Harry, Sev and Kingsley entered by the back door after using Alohomora to open the lock. A woman's scream sounded from the front of the house. She continued to scream as they rushed to find her. What they saw when they got to the room astonished Kingsley. Narcissa Malfoy was fighting off Cornelius Fudge as he tore at her clothing. He grabbed her hair and attempted to kiss her. Sev waved his wand as he uttered "Petrificus Totalis" at the former Minister. Fudge fell over frozen in place. Narcissa tried to cover herself before sinking to the floor.

Sev rushed to her side to make sure she had only fainted. He accioed Fudge's cloak from the dining room chair and covered her with it. He lifted her onto the sofa. He motioned for Harry to bring her some water and sit with her. He and Kingsley were going to have a chat with Cornelius Fudge. Kingsley had hovered the former Minister into the next room. He and Sev closed the door behind them before they removed the freezing curse. Fudge was spluttering and demanding to know why they had broken into his home.

Sev answered him coldly, "Because Narcissa Malfoy was abducted tonight and we followed her abductor here. We found you attempting to rape Madame Malfoy. Her husband had been killed earlier. Why are you helping Rodolphus Lestrange?"

"Helping Lestrange? What are you talking about? Narcissa Malfoy here? Have you lost your mind?"

Sev looked Fudge in the eyes and waved his wand slightly. "Legilimens." He saw the memories of the attempt at rape, the instructions Lestrange had given Fudge, the things Fudge had done to assist Lestrange, the original Imperius curse. "Lestrange told him to keep Cissy here, that he could enjoy her favors since she was to die before very long. He is complicit in this up to his scrawny neck."

Kingsley cast a simple Stupefy and then magically tied Fudge up. They agreed that they should take Narcissa to St. Mungo's and Fudge could be held there also in the ward for the most violent cases. Sev called Harry to take the two to St. Mungo's and then return. Within minutes Harry had returned and the three were off after Rodolphus again. They followed the beams of light to several more stops but did not find the fugitive. They went back to Fudge's and warded the house against him. They returned to Lestrange Manor and set wards in place there also. When Rodolphus returned he would find ghostly images of Lucius Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Alastor Moody confronting him. The images would not leave him alone while he was in the house. Kingsley and Sev were trying to drive him even further round the twist. They kept up the surveillance and the constant annoyance for almost two and a half weeks. Draco had brought Teddy to Glastonbury and stayed on for a bit while his mum was in St. Mungo's. He was feeling slightly guilty that he had wished his father dead. Sev and the others had taken turns talking to him but he was still feeling guilty. Nimuë had been singing her protective spells daily as well as integrating young Teddy Lupin into the household. The preparations were moving ahead for the handfasting. Ron had moved the furniture around and was currently doing renovations on Spinner's End. He was staying in the basement rooms in Glastonbury along with Harry. Ginny and Hermione had moved into the flat in the garden to help with the shop and young master Lupin. Neville Longbottom had surprised everyone when he proposed to Lavender Brown and been accepted. Luna Lovegood was doing her best to cheer up Draco Malfoy and finding him to be very likable. Viktor Krum had started dating Sev's assistant, Katie Bell and that relationship was progressing apace.

The days were dwindling before Lammas. Sev and Nimuë were both taking turns with Teddy now. Reading to the boy had become a nightly ritual they shared. They took turns reading, one would hold Teddy and the other would read to him. The next night they would switch places. Ginny remarked one day that Severus was so good with Teddy.

"He has taken the addition of Teddy to the household very well. I had some doubts since he has never been around children before. But Teddy does seem to love him."

"He has made up a story, Ginny, about a Werewolf Prince and a Metamorph Princess. They left their baby prince with us to take care of him. He is making it up as he goes. Teddy loves it. Sev is really good with him."

"And have you managed to tell him about Imbolc yet? Those bairns you are carrying will be all too obvious in a few more weeks."

"I am going to tell him after the handfasting. He has too much to worry about now. He has started at the Ministry much sooner than he had planned and the threat of Rodolphus hangs over all of our heads. Best get everyone in here for dinner. I had an inspiration and ordered in. Chinese food tonight, chicken with Broccoli and egg rolls or prawns with snow peas and egg drop soup. I ordered enough for everybody to have some of it all."

Ginny went outside to call the others in to dinner when Harry arrived through the fireplace. He seemed very excited and went in search of Sev immediately. They were still talking when they arrived at the table.

"Severus, Kingsley has decided that the best way to make sure we have gotten all the horcruxes as well as giving him nowhere to hide is to use Fiendfyre on Lestrange Manor, Rabastan's house and the old Riddle mansion." Harry seemed nervous about what he was saying.

"Fiendfyre! Yes, that would work but it will take Goblin magic to control it. Fiendfyre was one of the spells that wizards learned from the Goblins and then forbade them to use anymore. We need to ask Bill Weasley to intervene with the Goblins on this matter. Kingsley has gone to the governing Board for Hogwarts and forced them to admit Goblin children for the first time. It is a step long overdue but I am wondering if it is enough to bring them to our side on the matter of Fiendfyre?"

"Enough! You two need to sit down and have dinner before any more discussion. Dinner is Chinese. Pick what you want. There is more than enough to go around."

Her statement only postponed the inevitable question and answer session about Goblin magic that began after dinner.

Ron asked what other spells were Goblin magic. Ginny asked how the Goblins did their magic without wands. Viktor, who had come by after dinner, asked why Wizards trusted Goblins with their money but not with wands. That question stopped the discussion immediately. No one had any answer for that. Harry and Sev went off to the potions lab in the basement while Ron and Viktor helped Ginny and Hermione sort out the dishes. Teddy was still playing with his rice so Viktor sat down and showed the toddler how to manage his spoon.

"He vill be left-handed. I can probably show him how to use left hand better than the rest of you. I had to learn early that I vas capable of using both hands for some things but eating and using a quill I do vith left hand." He tousled the boy's hair and Teddy gave a happy gurgle. Viktor picked the boy up and took him outside to play in the garden. Hermione and Ron followed a few minutes later. Viktor was sitting on the bench in the middle of the garden using his wand to make small objects appear on the grass in front of Teddy. Viktor was using play to study which hand really was Teddy's dominant hand. It came down to a conclusion that Teddy would most likely be ambidextrous. He picked some things up with his right hand but an equal number of things with his left hand. What Hermione found amazing was that no matter how many times Viktor threw out a ball, Teddy would only pick up the ball with his right hand. And that Teddy would only pick up his plush dragon with his left hand. The child did not miss once on which hand he used for which object. Fun items like the ball and a top and his little broomstick were always picked up with his right hand. Things that represented security or food or clothing were picked up with the left hand. And another thing that happened, they noticed, was that when Teddy was concentrating on playing with the ball his hair turned sky blue; but when he was simply listening to the grown ups around him talking his hair turned the same brown as his father's had been. When Sev came out to retrieve Teddy, the boy's hair turned darker. Everyone went back inside and the discussion of Goblin magic started up again. Hermione mentioned Viktor's little experiment to Nimuë and its surprising revelations. Nimuë moved to Viktor's side and tousled his hair. Then she bent and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for noticing about my little boy. Sev and I are grateful. You have now been added to the extended Snape family. Welcome."

Viktor blushed and ducked his head. He stammered a reply. "I just vanted to make his vay easier than mine had been. He is cute little boy. I know how hard it is to be different handed."

Sev came and draped an arm over Viktor's shoulders. He gave the young man a soft hug and made an offer that surprised everyone.

"Viktor, whatever you need while you are here, just ask us. You have earned our undying gratitude and respect. Your insight into Teddy is very welcome. You are a very good person."

Viktor simply said "Thank you."

Harry and Ginny immediately went back to the topic of Fiendfyre. They wanted to know how Goblins did magic without wands and why wizards had never allowed the Goblins to use wands. Sev replied that it was not something he had researched but that Hermione could probably find out. The group was still arguing when Nimuë took Teddy up to bed. The younger members of the group stayed up to talk when Sev climbed the stairs. He and Nimuë stood at the top of the stairs and looked down at the five young people in the living room.

"They are all so intense, Sev. Even the girls. I hope you find Rodolphus before the handfasting. I don't want anything to mar that. It seems like we have been together forever. I love you so very much."

"Rodolphus will not spoil our handfasting, my love. The Aurors and I are closing in on him. Put him out of your thoughts. Think instead, of a beautiful day and how much we love each other."


	11. Redirection

A/N As per norm, I may no money from this story. Only intense satisfaction. Reviews are appreciated but net really required. My wonderful beta Feral Pirate has steered me back on course again. Blessed be to all of you.

There was only a week left to Lammas, a week before Harry's birthday, a week before the handfasting. The next morning dawned sunny and warm. Draco and Luna appeared and were helping Ron build a trellis at the back of the garden. Luna was moving the pile of stones with her wand when Draco and Ron yelled that there was something on the ground. The three cleared away the last few small stones from the area near the wall of the flat before going into the house to ask Nimuë to come outside. Sev ,who had not yet left for the Ministry, followed closely behind. What the three young people had found were the remnants of a shrine to one of the Celtic gods of the area. The large stone with the carving stood at the back of a three foot depression in the soil, it was canted to one side and the carving was still quite legible. What was odd about it though was that the inscription was in two languages, Latin and old Welsh. The stone had been brought from Carmarthen or the hills above the Roman fort near there. The only one of the group that could make out what the inscription said was Ron. He said it was the marker for the spring and the cave for the Mage of the Hill…. Myrddin.

"Merlin, in other words. Seems a bit wonky, finding that after what happened at the Tor yesterday. Dad told us all and it kind of creeped me out." Ron said.

"It is a sign, an affirmation if you will. You will hear from some of the magical beings today about whether or not they will help you with Rodolphus. I think the Fae are a given. But possibly, the Goblins will respond or the Centaurs. I am sure you have the House Elves on your side." Luna said these words as she dusted off the stone. Then she looked up at everyone and smiled brilliantly.

Just then a large Eagle Owl swooped into the yard and landed at Sev's feet. It held out its leg which had a parchment scroll attached to it. He untied the scroll and gave the owl the last of his toast. It bobbed its head and flew off to the North.

"It is from Minerva. Hagrid has been talking to the Centaurs. They say that the portents for Lammas are very favourable. The moon will not be out that night. It will be clouded and very dark. But that there are signs in the stars that say a great convergence of power will be brought to bear against the forces of discord. You appear to have been correct, Luna. The magical beings are starting to answer the call. Let's just hope that Harry and Hermione have had some success with their research about the Muggle's ultimate evil." He kissed Nimuë before disapparating to the Ministry.

Draco and Ron washed off the stone and carried it to the edge of the house. Luna was looking into the hole then reached in and brought a small object over to the boys.

"I think it is the libation cup, one that would have rested on a ledge beside the spring. Tergeo_**!**__**" **_She cast the cleansing spell so the dirt vanished in an instant. She held a carved cup in her hand, a cup carved from some bluish looking rock. "I think this is Bluestone, like the smaller stones at Stonehenge. They came from Wales, the Prescelly Mountains. I think this was a key to something."

Ron and Draco just looked at her. Luna then took the cup into the house and gave it to Nimuë, saying, "This is important. Hold this here for him. I don't know what it may mean but Severus needs to see this as soon as he returns."

Then Luna walked back outside to speak to the two boys. The three of them called to Nimuë in the house and she heard them say, "We are going to the Burrow and then Luna's house. We'll check with Bill, too."

Within only a few minutes Angelina Johnson arrived. She shyly showed Nimuë the ring on her left hand.

"It is from George. He asked me last night. What is this I hear about a stone in the garden? Can we go have a look? I guess I'll be your shadow until this whole Rodolphus Lestrange thing is over. Do you think if I went back to Ms. MacDonald's shop in Upper Flagley, she might have a wedding dress for me, too? I mean yours didn't cost the earth and it is quite the prettiest thing I have seen outwith a magazine."

The two women went out to look at the stone then Nimuë showed Angelina the cup that Luna had found. They opened the shop and waited on customers for most of the day. While they were selling herbs and sachets other things were happening at the Ministry. The Wizengamot had convened reluctantly. They were very sceptical about Sev being the latest incarnation of Merlin but when he started giving them chapter and verse of magical history, answers to long debated questions and explained what some of the artefacts in the Hall of Mysteries were; they finally accepted the testimony of every one of the Aurors who had been present for the visitation from Vivienne. They affirmed the use of Fiendfyre on Lestrange Hall, Rabastan's home and the Riddle home. They wrote and sent an offer to the Goblins to form a panel to address the issues the non-human magical beings felt strongly about. The same offer was sent to the Centaurs, the House Elves, the Giants and numerous other beings. Before the Wizengamot ended their session the replies had come back from most of the groups. Griphook, as Goblin liaison, had arrived to address the entire Wizengamot. He stood proudly to thank them for admitting Goblin children to Hogwarts at last. He also turned to Sev to offer the use of the Goblin-made armour of Salazar Slytherin.

"It is only fitting that you should wear that armour, since you will also be using the Goblin-made sword of Godric Gryffindor. The Goblins will help. We will fight alongside the Wizards. This is a time of new accord between magical beings."

Kingsley and Sev both shook the hand of the Goblin to seal the agreement. Word came from the Centaurs that they would join the panel and assist at the Tor. The House Elves sent their representative, Kreacher, to voice their willingness to participate in the panel. The Giants replied that while they would not come to join the panel, they supported the Wizengamot and the fight against Rodolphus. The Merpeople sent a message to say they were in agreement with Kingsley's new policies. At the very end of the meeting the doors flew open as Harry and Hermione ran into the room.

"We have the solution. He has sold whatever soul he has left to the Devil. We visited enough churches today that I lost count. But Hermione had the brilliant idea to go to the priest at Brompton Oratory and ask for Holy Water. He gave us every drop he could spare. There must be eight or nine litres. Can you put it to use, Severus?"

"Yes, of course, Harry. Come on, we need to get back to Glastonbury. There are developments."

They all said goodbye to Kingsley, Arthur and Gawain before entering the floo network to return home. When they arrived they found Luna, Draco and Ron handing a scroll to Nimuë as well as a large bottle of wine. Nimuë looked at Sev and smiled.

"The Elves have agreed to help. They will send a contingent on Lammas. They sent this bottle of their best vintage for your handfasting," Ron said.

Luna added, "My Father is in contact with the Elves all the time. I asked him to explain the situation to them and this is the result."

Nimuë handed the cup Luna had found earlier to Sev. As soon as his fingers touched it the cup began to glow. He carried it into the house where they all watched it expand and fill with a frothy white liquid. His laugh surprised them all.

"I set the stone and the cup both here in the garden more than five hundred years ago. The potion was one I created with Nicolas Flamel's help. The Centaurs of that time had seen the portents of this fight and warned Flamel of the dangers. I was his apprentice back then. This potion will seal off the top of the Tor from the rest of our world for one night. It will lock all up there into a bubble of time separate from the rest of the world. If I falter, or he defeats me, the Tor and everyone up there will be trapped into that time bubble. I must teach Harry how to dismantle the bubble if I am unable." He conjured a flask which he filled with the frothy potion. The he turned to Harry, "Please come outside while I explain the spell to dismantle the bubble and the one to shrink the bubble to enclose only Rodolphus. They are not particularly difficult, just precise."

The two walked further out into the garden. Sev turned to Harry and placed his hands on the younger man's shoulders, he was making a point. Harry nodded and repeated words back to Sev, who nodded. They both headed back inside as a large owl winged its way over the back fence. The owl landed at Sev's feet. He reached to retrieve the parchment attached to its leg, giving the owl a treat from the pocket of his robes.

"It's from Kingsley! Gawain and the other Aurors took out the Riddle house, the old Gaunt shack and Rabastan's house with Fiendfyre. All that is left to do is Lestrange Hall. They will do that tomorrow. Oh, he informs me that they are going to use it on Fudge's house also. We have two days. Lammas will be very busy I am afraid. Do you mind if we have your party tomorrow night, Harry? We have the handfasting in the morning the next day. "

"Fine by me, Severus, whatever is easiest. I have only had parties these last few years so it isn't like I expect them on a timetable. I guess that means we need to get ready for everything. Come on, Ron, Hermione; let's get back to Grimmauld Place. There is work to be done. Bye."

The trio disapparated on the spot. Angelina Johnson left shortly afterwards. That left only Draco and Luna with Sev and Nimuë. Ginny had taken Teddy to the Burrow earlier to visit Molly. Draco approached Sev with a question.

"Are you going to need us, all of us, up there when you face him?" The younger man seemed to be requesting permission to be there.

"I am not sure, Draco. I take it that you feel you should be there after what was done to your family? You and Luna both may be there. But you must stay within the confines of the tower. I do not want either of you injured. Is that sufficient? Will the two of you eat dinner with us tonight?"

Draco breathed a huge sigh of relief and smiled at his godfather. "Yes, sir. We would enjoy that."

Luna had gone to stand close to Nimuë, saying that she felt Nimuë should try calling the Fae.

Nimuë answered that she would try contacting them later, but first dinner needed fixing.

The four all worked in the kitchen to prepare a simple dinner of pasta and salad. They sat down to eat in the garden. Ron's half finished trellis stood as a backdrop to the garden. When dinner was done, Draco went to the trellis and examined it. He called everyone over to point out the details that Ron had worked into the design. Both Sev's name and Nimuë's name had been spelled out in twigs. The date of the wedding was also there. Teddy's name had been added. There were hearts and depictions of the four treasures. By the time it was finished it would be a treasure in its own right.

"Weasley is a genius! He has real artistic talent. This would win him an award if he tried. He should pursue a career as a design architect!" Draco was excited. He helped carry the dishes inside before saying he was off to Grimmauld Place to talk to Ron. Luna watched him fondly as he strode off to the fireplace.

Nimuë looked at the younger woman and realised that Luna truly loved Draco. When the dishes were taken care of, Nimuë, Sev and Luna went back out into the garden. Sev realised that Nimuë was going to attempt calling the Fae so he sat at the edge of the garden, leaving the centre for the two women. Nimuë stood very still in the failing light. She put every thought from her except the wish to talk to the Fae. She simply concentrated, slowing her breathing and heart rate. Within moments a figure shimmered into existence before her. Long silver hair and a heart shaped face, the totally androgynous being bowed to her.

The being spoke in a low pleasant voice. "Thee hast called us forth. What dost thee require?"

Nimuë answered softly, "The second night hence there will be a battle at the top of the Tor. Will the Fae assist us in this fight? I ask as Niniane, Lady of the Lake."

"Lady Niniane… Nimuë… the Fae shall be at the side of Lord Merlin. The Tuatha De' Danaan hath sent word that they will stand also with us. Blessed be, we take our leave of you until the second night hence."

When the being shimmered away, a gust of wind picked up the stray leaves and swirled them into the likeness of a man. The leaf man bowed also before vanishing. Luna nodded her head before hugging Nimuë. She whispered that she was going to floo back to Malfoy Manor, then ran back into the house. Sev and Nimuë followed in time to see Luna throw green powder into the fireplace.

"You did it. You called them. We are ready. Now all we need is to get Harry's birthday out of the way. His actual birthday is …" His pride in her shone from his dark eyes.

"I know, Sev, it is Lammas, but we'll celebrate it on the 30th instead. Are Kingsley and Gawain going to set the Fiendfyre late tomorrow after the party?"

"No. They will wait until after the handfasting. Apparently the images we set up in the house have been annoying Rodolphus no end. He has tried to attack a Muggle village but the Aurors were ready for him. He tried to return to Rabastan's house to find it had been burned. He immediately disapparated somewhere else. They lost him but only temporarily. Do we have things ready for Harry's party?"

"Certainly. Molly and Ginny are bringing the cake. Everyone has been dropping off presents for days. They are all hidden in the attics. What are we giving him?"

"I haven't a clue. But what Draco said gives me an idea. That trellis Ron Weasley is making is very creative. I am quite sure he could do an inspired rebuild of the Godric's Hollow house for Harry. We can afford it, so why don't we talk to Ron and see if he is willing to take on the project?"

"You are really trying to take the best care you can of Harry, aren't you? I think that is a wonderful idea."


	12. Rejoicing

**A/N: Since today is accepted as Harry's birthday I saved this chapter to post it. The world is JKR's; I am playing there.**

Nimuë threw green powder into the fireplace then said, "Ron Weasley, 12 Grimmauld Place."

When Ron appeared through the flames Nimuë asked him to come back, that they needed to talk to him. He said he'd be there in half an hour. Nimuë broke the connection to find Sev had started on the dishes. He had poured a glass of wine for himself and made tea for Nimuë**. **When he finished putting the dishes away he sat down in the chair across from hers.

"When were you going to tell me?" His voice was teasing.

"Tell you about what, love? "

"About the bairn you're carrying, Nimuë. I know every inch of you, I can tell when the landscape of your body changes. I am not unhappy about it, love, just concerned. I am assuming Ginevra and Hermione already know. You will have to be careful at the top of the Tor. I want you safe."

"Sev, when Hermione ran the diagnostic spell….. there are two….. twins love. I was going to tell you after the Tor. Yes, the girls know, Luna was here too. Are you sure you're not upset?"

He set his glass down and knelt in front of her chair. "Why should I be upset, Nimuë? It is the natural progression of our life together. When I was wandering as a healer, I found that I actually enjoyed being around children. We are going to have our hands full, love. You may have to get Molly to help you for the first while. I'll help, too. Shall we make the announcement at the handfasting?"

"Yes, Sev, I hope Harry is not going to make a big production out of this. We don't need the immediate world there, just friends and those we call family."

"Those are my thoughts exactly. Here, if I am not mistaken, comes Ron."

"Oi. Harry is mental. He has us running all over getting ready. So, what do you need?" Ron grinned at them as he stepped out of the green flames.

"Did Draco talk to you? Are you interested in design architecture?" Sev came right to the point.

"Well, actually, yes, I am. I always wanted to build stuff. Everyone says I'm really good with my hands. Why?"

"Sit down Ron, we have an idea and we want to run it by you." Nimuë gestured to a chair.

"Sure, I'll listen."

Sev began to tell Ron that the gift he and Nimuë wanted to give Harry was the rebuilding of the Godric's Hollow house. "Draco seemed convinced that you have real talent, so we thought it would be fitting that you be the one to rebuild the house. Are you interested?"

"You. Want. Me. To. Rebuild. His. Parents'. House. At. Godric's. Hollow? Me, Ron Weasley?" Ron was having trouble breathing.

Nimuë laughed at the expression on Ron's face. He was totally flabbergasted at the suggestion. When he calmed down, the three of them talked seriously about the project. Nimuë had poured mead for them before she made tea for herself. The discussion was proceeding well. Ron was starting to believe that Sev and Nimuë really wanted him to rebuild Harry's parents' house. The two decided to go off to Godric's Hollow in the morning to look at the house and Nimuë had an idea of her own.

She knew that neither Harry nor Sev had gotten around to retrieving the trunks from the Dursley's house yet. So she would go to confront the Dursleys herself in the morning. Maybe she would take Minerva with her. She sent an owl to Minerva and received an immediate affirmative answer. Ron promised he would not tell Harry or Hermione about the rebuilding of the house just before he flooed back to London.

Sev chuckled at Ron's reaction as he drew Nimuë to her feet. He tilted her head back to look into her eyes.

"You are up to something. I can tell by that dimple. What are you up to, my love?"

"Minerva and I are going to visit the Dursleys tomorrow. There is that small matter of Harry's parents' things. You could send along a howler if you feel so inclined."

"If you wait until after 10 AM, I will go along. Petunia will remember me. I would dearly love to intimidate her and her insufferable prat of a husband. Besides, I don't want you getting upset. It is not good for the bairns. Come to bed, love. We have a very full calendar for the next couple of days."

Morning came all too soon. Ron appeared bright and early with a sketch pad and a quick quotes quill reconfigured for architectural drawing. He and Sev were only gone about an hour and a half. Angelina had arrived just after Minerva and Luna showed up about 15 minutes later. The three women were having tea and toast when Sev and Ron arrived back. Draco arrived moments later. Angelina and Luna would see to the shop while Draco and Ron went over the plans. Sev, Minerva and Nimuë left for Little Whinging for an overdue 'visit' to the Dursley family. Minerva had left off her robes and was attired in a plaid skirt and twin set. She even carried a purse which held her wand and the list of items and number of trunks that had been left with the Dursleys. She was a force to be reckoned with this day. Sev and Nimuë were in Jeans and pullovers.

Vernon Dursley answered the door then tried to close it in their faces. Sev warned him not to be more of an arse than he could help. Petunia came in from the kitchen when she heard the commotion. She gasped when she saw Sev.

"You! What are you people doing here? What do you want? Harry isn't here. We don't want your kind here."

Minerva began very calmly, "There were trunks of his parents' things that were left for Harry. He has 

never received them. Where are they? Have you tried to open them?"

Vernon Dursley yelled "Of course we tried to get into them! What is in them should go to us for giving the git houseroom. He doesn't deserve anything. That stuff is ours!"

Minerva rolled her eyes and winked at Sev. Then she began to explain to Vernon again that the trunks would only open for Harry, herself or Sev.

Sev moved closer to Petunia and glared at her. "Petunia, Harry is the only living reminder of your sister. You did not follow the instructions given you by Albus Dumbledore for the care of the boy. You neglected him and let your husband abuse him for no reason except your jealousy. You owe it to your sister to make what amends you can to Harry. Where are the trunks?"

Her eyes got very large in her face. She was aware that he had seen the memories in her mind and was terrified.

"Vernon, don't be a bigger prat than you already are. Do not argue with them. Just shut up and let them take the damn trunks. They are in the attic, all seven of them."

She turned back to the kitchen door before looking over her shoulder once more. She spoke to Sev as if she and he were the only ones present. "Tell Harry….. tell him I did love his mum. And I'm sorry." She sobbed as she walked into the kitchen. Vernon was dumbfounded. He just stood there with his mouth open. Sev waved his wand at the attic access stairway. It opened and seven large trunks floated to the entry hall. Minerva cast a shrinking charm before putting all seven in her handbag. Then the three walked out of the door back to Arabella Figg's house where they used her floo to get back to Glastonbury. Minerva said she was going to visit with Arabella for a time and then take the trunks to Grimmauld Place. She said she would be at the party.

Sev and Nimuë got back to find that Luna and Draco had decorated the house and the garden for the party. Angelina had ordered a late lunch to be delivered so all of them sat down to discuss the day's events. Ron had left copies of the sketches with Draco who asked Sev about what was going to be done to the house. Luna looked from Sev to Nimuë then smiled hugely.

"You told him about the pregnancy! That is wonderful. Was he upset?"

"He guessed, Luna. He had noticed the subtle changes in my body. He said it was only the natural progression of our life together and that he was pleased. He is worried about Lammas and having to fight Rodolphus."

"As well he should be, Nimuë, since we are not sure that Rodolphus will appear when expected. Has Sev or the Ministry done anything to track him? Is there a way of leaving a message or an image for him?"

"It is a timed image and message. It is activated by proximity to his wand. It will show my face and tell him I am waiting for him atop the Tor. We left it several places he was seen. It will only be visible to him. It will also only be activated AFTER the handfasting is over. That way the Ministry and all of our allies can 

be in position. Nimuë will be singing her protective spells and, if I am not mistaken, the Fae, the elves and the Tuatha De' Danaan will be singing with her. That will provide a very powerful barrier for all of us atop the Tor." Sev answered Luna's question as he spoke to all of them.

Draco looked to Nimuë and then to Sev before nodding his head. "I can tell you things about the way he thinks, Severus. He was… no, is so devoted to the Dark Lord that he never made love to Aunt Bella. He offered her to the Dark Lord after he had used the Imperius Curse on her to only obey the Dark Lord. Theirs was the sickest marriage imaginable. He used to look at my mother with a determined gleam in his eye. I think he would have used the Imperius on my parents also if they had not showed the same degree of devotion. He was totally barking even before I was born. Mother told me stories of the things he used to do. I was terrified of him when they were broken out of Azkaban. It was his suggestion that I fix the cabinet our sixth year. He hated me and my parents. Be very careful when you fight him. His is more treacherous than Aunt Bella was. He will have many hidden tricks at his disposal. And he always carries Aunt Bella's wand with him. He will use it if he is disarmed of his own."

"Thank you, Draco. I will be prepared. The Goblins are loaning me Slytherin's Armour and I am taking the Sword from the school. I will have my original wand with me, Merlin's wand. The Centaurs have given their reading of the portents and the other Magical beings will be with us to show a united front to Rodolphus. You and Luna have done a wonderful job of decorating. Let's all sit down and eat. We all need to get Harry's presents out of the attics. The guests will be here early if I know the Weasleys."

Everyone laughed and sat down to eat. The rest of the afternoon everyone stayed busy making sure that things were just right for Harry's party. At 6:30 Draco arrived back before anyone else and handed Nimuë a cage with a small white animal in it. She called to Sev as she giggled.

"Come here and see what Draco is giving Harry!"

"What are you giggling about? Oh, Merlin, a ferret, Draco? Are you finally making a joke? That will please Harry no end. That may be the best thing, to get him to laugh at and with you. Brilliant. Come on, I'll pour you a glass of mead. Do you want tea, Nimuë?"

"Yes, please. Oh, Sev, there's Harry's patronus."

The stag stood in the garden of the house. It spoke with Harry's voice. "Ready or not, we are descending on you shortly."

The Weasleys arrived with baby Victiore. Ron, Lavender, Neville, Hannah, Seamus, Dean and the others from Dumbledore's Army arrived bringing Butterbeer, Mead, crisps and other snacks. By the time Harry and Ginny arrived the house was full. Music from Nimuë's laptop played as a backdrop to the party. Harry was happy; laughing over the things people had brought him. He howled with laughter at the ferret Draco had brought. He made sure he thanked each person who had come to the party. When the majority of the crowd had departed, the rest of them sat around the garden nursing drinks when Sev stood up and made a toast to Harry.

"May you have many more happy birthdays, my young friend. Oh, by the way, Nimuë and I have decided 

that our present to you is to have Ron rebuild the house at Godric's Hollow. You may consult with Ron and decide exactly what you want done. We thought it would be a place you could get away from the bustle of London, sort of a vacation home."

Harry was as dumbfounded as Ron had been the previous night. He looked at his friends and shook his head.

"I don't know what to say, Severus, for you and Nimuë to do this for me…. I am speechless. I couldn't ask for a better second family, you are both so special to me. Thank you for everything."

Before everyone left that night Luna, Hermione, Ginny and Angelina took Nimuë's dress and everything she would need for the handfasting the next morning. They tried to get her to go back to Grimmauld Place with them but Sev would have none of it. The girls finally gathered up the dress and the other things before flooing back to London. Harry and Draco stayed on a bit to talk. Harry was playing with the young ferret which he had named Mad-eye. Nimuë told them she was going upstairs to go to sleep but Sev would stay up with them.

He poured the three of them each a glass of mead before sitting down and telling the younger wizards they would have to congratulate him.

Harry bit first. "Why? We already know you're getting married in the morning or is there another reason."

Draco looked at Sev and then at Harry. "I think there is something else, Harry. Something he's really happy about. Look at him, he's fair to bursting. The way he watched her go upstairs was odd. It must be something about Nimuë."

"We are expecting twins around Imbolc, boys. That is why I am happy. This old man is going to be a father."

"I bet Ginny knows. She has been acting strange. I am glad for you, Severus."

"I know that Luna knows. She mentioned something about what Vivienne said and how it applied to coming events. Cheers. "

"I am going to ask each of you to be godfather to one of the twins. It is what Nimuë would want. And Harry is already godfather to Teddy. You are both family as far as I am concerned. Nimuë feels the same way. You'll be uncles, cousins, godfathers, whatever, to all of our children. Draco, there is a specific job I want you to do tomorrow at the wedding. Would you walk Nimuë down the aisle? Teddy is all the family she has left and he is a common link to the two of you. Will you do it?"

"I would be honoured, Severus. Thank you for asking. Come on Harry, bring the ferret and let's go back to your house. I can tell you exactly how Ron got the job rebuilding the house in Godric's Hollow. Good night, Uncle."

The two young men put their glasses in the kitchen before tossing floo powder into the fireplace.

Sev made his way up the stairs to find Nimuë in bed reading. He took the book from her hands gently.

"I have added a new dimension to the handfasting. I have requested Draco to walk you down the aisle. Is that acceptable, my love?"

"Of course, we should let him carry Teddy as he does it. That way Teddy can feel like he is part of this whole production. The girls wanted me to go back to the house with them. They said we were courting bad luck. "

"It is my opinion that, if you get up earlier than I do, you can floo into London and I will not technically see you before the handfasting… wedding… whatever. You can take Teddy with you and I will arrive later. Will that suffice?"

"Admirably, Sev."

"Then let me shower and we will make the most of these last few hours of unwedded bliss."

When he came back into the bedroom after his shower he found a third party in their bed. Young Teddy had climbed into the bed then promptly fallen asleep again. The two adults both kissed the sleeping child and moved him to one side of the bed. They spooned against each other, talking quietly before falling asleep.

In the early morning hours Nimuë got up, woke Teddy and got the two of them ready to floo to Grimmauld Place. When she arrived with Teddy, Molly Weasley took the boy to feed him breakfast. Ginny, Hermione and Luna marched Nimuë upstairs to begin the ritual preparations. They brought tea and toast for nourishment and hid a silver shilling in her shoe for luck. At exactly 9AM there was a knock on the door and a quiet voice said "I brought her bouquet. Hermione, come get it."

"Is that Neville?" Nimuë asked. Ginny opened the door and dragged him into the room.

He was embarrassed but bravely told them what he had put into the bouquet.

"Almond Blossoms, Amaranth, Maidenhair ferns, White Heather, Orange Blossoms, Parsley, Sage Rosemary and Thyme. And Hannah made me tie it with Unicorn hair. I hope you like it, Miss Hawke."

"Oh, Neville, it is beautiful. You did a lovely job. Thank you. I'm sure Severus will thank you too when he gets here."

"He is here. He is in the kitchen getting Teddy dressed. Mrs. Weasley could not get the tyke into his duds so Professor Snape took over."

"Okay, Neville. Thanks but we have to finish with her hair so you need to vacate the room. I am sure Hannah is waiting for you downstairs." Ginny was practically pushing Neville out the door.

Neville chuckled and gave a cheeky bow to the ladies in the room before beating a hasty retreat. Hermione and Ginny were already in their dresses with their hair done. They twisted Nimuë's hair up on the back of her head and secured it with a sapphire comb that Minerva McGonagall had loaned for the 

handfasting. They fastened Molly Weasley's pearls around Nimuë's neck and the matching earrings in her ears. Luna jumped up, ran down the stairs and into the sitting room. She quickly told everyone to get ready. Draco went up the stairs to escort Nimuë as soon as Ginny and Hermione had made their way to the end of the sitting room where Kingsley Shacklebolt waited to perform the ceremony. Ron and Harry stood at Sev's side. When Draco and Nimuë got to the bottom of the stairs Draco picked up Teddy. The little boy was grinning hugely. When Draco delivered Nimuë to where Sev waited, Kingsley asked who brought this woman to be bonded to this man.

On cue, Draco and everyone in the room said, "We, her friends and extended family bring her to be bonded."

Even Teddy had spoken the words. Draco put the child down and Teddy went to stand between Sev and Nimuë.

When Kingsley had finished speaking the words and asking the questions, he created the magical bonds on the joined hands of the couple. Then he asked if there were other who wished to add to the bonds. Suddenly the room began to glow. The forms of Vivienne and the Elf and the Leaf Man appeared beside Kingsley. Their voices were softly musical as they spoke the words that shocked everyone there.

"With this bonding magic comes full circle. The ancient becomes new again. The old magic will flourish again because of this bonding. The last of the evil must be defeated. Once that is done, peace shall reign in the realm of magic for many centuries. Blessings of the elves, blessings of the Fae, blessings of the Tuatha De' Danaan on these two who have joined their lives together. May your life together bring joy, knowledge, and wisdom to those who know you. Blessed be, Merlin Severus and Niniane Nimuë." A silvery mist enveloped Sev and Nimuë, swirling around and between them until it wrapped around their joined hands and the ends slowly changed to a single glowing line that sank into the skin of their joined left hands. What was left was a sort of tattoo encircling their wrists and their ring fingers and going up their arms to forma Celtic knot over their hearts. The marks on their wrists were runes which spelled out love, hope and joy. When Sev reached for the ring to put it on Nimuë's hand Harry handed him a ring he did not recognise. But a voice spoke in his mind and told him not to worry. The new ring was Welsh gold woven into Celtic knots. It fit her hand perfectly. Hermione reached to hand Nimuë something. It was another ring, a larger one with an emblem of a hawk woven into the design of knots. It fit Sev's hand. Kingsley laughed and declared them bonded. At that, everyone applauded. Teddy pulled on Sev's hand and asked, "Family, Da?"

Sev laughed and swung the child to his shoulder. "Yes, Teddy, we are a family now. Everyone, we are going to welcome two more additions to our family at Imbolc."

The wedding guests crowded forward to congratulate the newly married couple.


	13. Resolution

A/N This story is now complete. I hope you have enjoyed it. I admit I got bored with it and did not update as often as I should have but real life got in the way. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Blessed be to all of you.

The well wishers eventually let the newlyweds have some breathing room. Sev pulled Nimuë aside to tell her that they must return to Glastonbury almost immediately. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley started herding everyone towards the door as soon as possible. Molly Weasley took charge of Teddy when it was time to floo back to Glastonbury. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. The goblins had brought the Adamantine Mithril armour of Salazar Slytherin, it sat in a wooden box outside our back door. Minerva sat in one of the garden chairs with Gryffindor's sword in her hands. She stood to kiss both Sev and Nimuë.

"It was a lovely ceremony. The Goblins were here only moments ago. They left the armour with me. Where have you decided we should all be, Severus?"

"Come in the house, Minerva, let us get changed and we will discuss it."

Nimuë went upstairs to change out of her dress and found the ivory-coloured homespun skirt and embroidered tunic. She put them on thinking they were close to what Vivienne had been wearing when she had appeared to them. She laid out a white poet's shirt and light coloured pants for Sev. The Adamantine Mithril mail would fit over the shirt. The baldric for the sword was also of Adamantine Mithril. The scabbard was embedded with many gems; the writing on the scabbard matched the writing on the sword blade. Even though Sev would be fighting with his wand the armour of Slytherin coupled with the sword and scabbard of Gryffindor should be intimidating for Rodolphus to see. When she was ready she hurried downstairs.

Sev went up to change and returned dressed in the shirt and pants. He would put the armour on when it was time to leave for the Tor. The sound of someone apparating in drew their attention to the garden. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley walked into the house to say that they had cast a spell on the Tor precincts to keep people away from there for the rest of the day. It was decided that everyone would be disillusioned when they approached the Tor. They were talking in the sitting room when a noise came from Arthur's jacket.

"That is the signal. The challenge has been delivered. He may be coming any moment." Arthur said. He and Kingsley went through the floo back to the Ministry to alert the Aurors.

Immediately a white light suffused the sitting room and everyone was transported to the top of the Tor. Sev was wearing the armour and sliding the sword into the scabbard. The others who were to be there had also magically appeared. Vivienne awaited them at the doorway to the tower.

"Greetings, my Lord Merlin. Thee must spread thy potion around the perimeter of the Tor. We have kept him from arriving too precipitously. Thee must hurry. The others are here even if unseen. My sister and I shall stand at your sides. The others must be arranged thusly. Young Harry one the left side of the tower, young Draco on the right side of the tower. Young Neville diagonally across from Harry and Young Ron diagonally across from Draco. Luna will stand with Ron, Ginny with Draco, Hermione with Harry, Minerva will stand with Neville. The Centaurs were brought here and are guarding the avenues leading to the Tor. The Tuatha De' Danaan and the Fae and the Elves will take positions on the three 

open sides; Gwyn Ap Nudd will be guarding the tower area. He has opened the doors to his realm for this fight."

Sev sprinkled the potion around the edges of the Tor and a misty haze rose from the ground. It glittered and shifted like the Northern Lights. When Sev returned to the centre of the Tor Vivienne took her place at his left side. Then she waved her hands and Rodolphus appeared. He made two steps forward before Sev told him to stop.

"You are the last, Rodolphus. You cannot win. The ancient magic of this place will defeat you. I will defeat you."

"You were the traitor that Bella named you, Snape. You should have died that day. Dark Magic should have won. Av……"

His attempt at casting the killing curse was never completed. From four corners there were potion vials thrown at him. The Holy Water that Hermione had collected and portioned out weakened him. He attempted to say the curse again but was thwarted once more. Vivienne held up her hand.

"Thee shall not cast that curse. It is forbidden. Thee must fight fairly. The Magical beings of this world are here to pass judgement. If thee attempt to use Dark Magic against thy opponent the fight will be over. Only one will walk away from this duel."

Rodolphus looked around him. The sight of all of the beings assembled shook him. He snarled at Sev and attempted to use a body bind curse. Sev deflected it easily, sending back a stinging hex. They sent curses and hexes back and forth until a new sound began, very low but building in volume. Nimuë had started to sing. Her words seemed to weaken Rodolphus.

"You are the last,

The remnant of hate

The Dark ways are the past.

Tonight seals your fate.

Evil is waning, your efforts in vain,

Your victims are starting to mend,

Love is the victor, soothing the pain,

Open your mind let this all end.

And when she had finished Rodolphus sent a curse towards Nimuë, Sev sent a protective spell to shield her then turned to Rodolphus.

Snarling, he cast a curse no one had ever heard before, "**Agnosco Suum Poena!"**

Rodolphus staggered back. He tried to raise his wand but Sev shouted the same curse again. Rodolphus tried to run at Sev but the curse was shouted a third time. Rodolphus dropped to his knees, sobbing.

"No more, no more. I am beaten." Then he raised his wand tip to his chest and whispered a curse. He fell at Sev's feet, dead by his own hand.

One by one the Elves, the Fae, the Tuatha De' Danaan and Gwyn Ap Nudd came to nod to Sev and Nimuë. Then they vanished, at last only Vivienne remained with them. She bowed before Sev saying, "Thee opened his mind to the suffering of all whom the Dark had injured. He finally understood that there are no differences between purebloods and others. He took his own life to expiate his crimes. I think we shall not meet again, my Lord. Thee and thy lady will no longer need our assistance. I wish you all the blessing of the Lady of the Lake." She walked to each of the people present on the Tor and touched them, and then she walked through the doorway to the tower and was gone. Minerva had the presence of mind to send a patronus to Shacklebolt. He and Arthur arrived moments later. The body of Rodolphus Lestrange was sent on to the Ministry. The group at the top of the Tor walked down the path and through the gates until they arrived at the house.

Hermione and Ginny fetched the bags they had packed for the newlyweds earlier. Sev changed back into a soft lawn shirt and jeans. Nimuë donned a pair of cotton slacks and a long sleeved tee shirt. Minerva hugged everyone before flooing back to the school. Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley assured Sev that everything would be handled while he was gone and that he and Nimuë should be on their way. Harry handed Sev the address of the small inn outside Athens which was connected to the floo network.

"There is a boat already arranged to take the two of you to the island. Go on and get away. Ron and I will be here if the girls need us. There is nothing that cannot be handled by someone here. Enjoy yourselves." Harry had grown up so much in the last few months.

Arthur Weasley was looking fondly at Harry holding Ginny's hand as he said, "You have saved our world again, Severus. This time I believe we shall not see the resurgence of Dark Magic for many generations. We all owe you more than you can ever imagine. Thank you, my friend. "

On those words Sev and Nimuë gathered their bags and stepped into the floo to leave on their honeymoon. During the week that Sev and Nimuë were away Harry asked Ginny to marry him, Ron asked Hermione the same question, and Draco asked Luna. Bill and Fleur welcomed their first child, Victoire. England experienced a week completely without violence. Peace accords were signed in strife torn countries, terrorists were caught, and dictators handed their power back to the people, a new era of enlightenment dawned.

In the ensuing years, the names of the fallen heroes of the war appeared on plaques at the Ministry or at St. Mungo's or at Hogwarts. Marriages happened, children were born, teachers retired and former students took over the vacant positions. When Minerva retired the Board of Governors offered the position of Headmaster to Severus, who accepted it humbly.

**_Finite Incantatem_**


End file.
